It's a Dog Eat Dog World, But What About the Cat?
by Nocturnal Muse
Summary: Torashi always thought she was a regular girl.Ok, so she turns into a cat when she gets splashed with cold water.But one rainy day, she became different.Brought back to life because of her dimensioal change,she joins the YuYu gang in a tournament.StoryDon
1. Change of Life by Death

Full Summary: Torashi always thought she was a regular girl. Ok, she turns into a cat when she gets splashed with cold water, but she was pretty normal other than that. But when it was raining, she became abnormal. Brought back to life because of her dimensional difference, she joins the Yu Yu Hakusho group to fight in a tournament to help save a world she's not even part of. But Murphy's Law is on her side, stating that anything bad that can happen, will happen.  
  
Disclaimer: I'm only gonna say this once in this updated form of my story, I don't own Ranma ½ (The anime I based Torashi on) or Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, don't you think you would have watched it instead of having to read it? However, I suppoet the company by buying all of the DVDs and CDs...  
  
Here's how I work when typing. Words followed by little numbers are usually attached with a definition. The definitions are all at the end. Italicized words are thoughts. Any questions, e-mail me. It's on the main page if you click my pen name.  
  
Chapter 1: A Peaceful Day Turned Ugly  
  
Saotome Torashi liked the brisk storm clouds billowing overhead, but the prospect of rain pissed her off, ruining the weather. Today she just happened to forget her umbrella. And it rained.  
  
A tiny black tabby neko(1) slipped in the rain soaked street. Saotome Torashi. A young girl from China and a neko, one in both mind and body.  
  
How? There is a place in China called The Training Ground of the Accursed Springs, also known as the Jusankyo Springs. Fall in and you take the form of whatever drowned there last. A splash of cold water turns you into it, hot water turns you back.  
  
Torashi had to get home. Damn! I should've ditched today, and not go through the trouble now she thought to herself.  
  
She should have been more watchful of where she was going instead of in her thoughts. A group of kids, around the ages of 8 and 9, were running home, more concerned about the rain than in the neko. One of them, a young boy, accidentally kicked her. The neko slipped and ended up in the sewer drain. But, she didn't fall. Torashi gripped the edge of the sewer with razor sharp claws.  
  
Unfortunately, that didn't last long. A soft ball slipped out of a kid's pocket. It rolled into the sewer drain. The ball smacked the poor neko on the head. Torashi's grip on the sidewalk had been poor at first, and the ball made her lose her precarious grip, on the edge. Her claws slipped and the neko fell into a deep black pit, unconscious, and landed in the water with a splash unheard by anyone.  
  
Torashi woke up. Her head hurt, but the pain left her quickly. She was on her back, looking at a brilliant blue sky.  
  
She realized she was in her human form. She was wearing her traditional clothes, consisting of a Chinese style black shirt with red trim and white pants. It was unusual for a transformation back, but Torashi wasn't worried.  
  
The problem happened when she tried to get up. She went to push her self up, but there was nothing but air.  
  
"What the hell," she screamed, falling backwards in the air. "Whose idea of a joke is this?"  
  
A girl with blue hair tied back in a ponytail wearing pink robes came flying on a boat paddle. She flew right up to Torashi.  
  
Confused, Torashi asked, "Who are you? Are you the one who pulled a prank on me? If you are, it's not funny."  
  
The bizarre girl replied, "No. I'm Botan, Navigator of the river Styx, and Guardian of the Lost Souls. Sometimes, I'm what some people would call the Grim Reaper. You are a spirit. Technically, it means you're dead."  
  
"Nani(2)!?!?!?!?!"  
  
"Look down. I don't get this, but that's you."  
  
"What?" curious, Torashi looked down, "Holy Shit! That's me. As a neko! How the hell did that happen?"  
  
"Well, you died. Now you're a ghost. Koenma-sama asked me to pick up the spirit of a neko, but I can tell that it's you."  
  
"My guess is I have to go see this 'Koenma-sama' now for some reason or another."  
  
"Bingo!"  
  
"And he might make me come back to life or something?"  
  
"Bingo, again!"  
  
"Well then, let's get going."  
  
"Wow! Your awful agreeable."  
  
"All I want to do is get back to life and get some food. Where am I, anyway?  
  
"Your somewhere in Japan."  
  
"Ok. I'm not far from where I was. I can just get a map and walk back. So, uh..."  
  
"Ok. Well, let's go! This way!" Botan grabbed Torashi's arm and flew off to Koenma's palace. She made Torashi feel miserable.  
  
"Wow. It's a long way down," Torashi said, looking down at the river Styx. They had arrived at the edges of the Reikai. (3)  
  
"Don't worry, you can't fall as a ghost."  
  
"I know that," Torashi grumbled.  
  
As they approached the Gates, Torashi decided she didn't really want to deal with anyone who lived in a big palace-like place. "Botan, I'm not sure I want to meet this Koenma. He's got to big of a place lo live," she commented.  
  
"Why? This is the Gate of Judgment." Botan explained as they landed in front of the gigantic door.  
  
"Uh... I kinda like being a ghost."  
  
"Scaredy neko."  
  
"Funny you should say that. I know I'm a neko, so you might want to call me something else. And, besides, it's not something I care about."  
  
"This is Botan," Botan said after she knocked on the door to the ogres waiting inside. "Don't get distracted, and mind your manners. Follow me." The doors swung open and Botan led Torashi inside.  
  
"Don't get distracted" Torashi murmured sarcastically. "Please. I'm a neko. Distractions are waiting to happen."  
  
"And don't laugh at him. He takes a lot of offense from that. Call him Koenma-sama," Botan rattled on and on until they got to the main room.  
  
"Welcome to the Gate of Judgment," Botan said brightly, as they entered.  
  
There were ogres everywhere. They were either at a desk or running around with papers. Really hectic!  
  
"Jeeze, it's like a weird stock exchange or something," Torashi whispered.  
  
"This way, Torashi. Stop staring. We run a tight seclude."  
  
"Dammit, Botan. Koenma really wants to see me? Couldn't he just come and see me? No he's probably way to busy. Dammit!"  
  
"Shh. Don't talk like that. We're close enough he might hear you."  
  
They came to a door. Botan knocked, said, "Koenma-sama. It's Botan-chan. I brought Saotome Torashi," and opened the door.  
  
There was a little kid, who looked about 3, sitting at a desk, talking to a blue ogre.  
  
"Is that Koenma?" Torashi asked, laughing inwardly.  
  
"Yes. Now be polite!"  
  
At the desk, the kid was saying, "It's a catastrophe! Yokai(4) are getting into the Ningenkai(5) through a few small holes. There's to many for just Yusuke and Kuwabara. I guess I'll just have to ask Kurama and Hiei to help out. They do make a good team, but will Hiei work with us still?" realizing the Guide of the Lost Souls and the Chinese girl were here he changed the subject. "Oh, Hello, Botan. Is this Saotome?"  
  
Torashi bowed, putting up a fake politeness, as she said, "Yes, Koenma- sama. I am Saotome Torashi, of the..."  
  
"Yes right," he interrupted. "Botan, I need you to find Hiei. Ask him to come to me for instructions."  
  
"Yes, Koenma-sama," Botan said, bowing. As she left she muttered "good luck," and was gone.  
  
"Koenma-sama. What was that all about? Yokai? And who were those people you mentioned?"  
  
"You don't need to know. Anyway, you are here..."  
  
Torashi interrupted, "I can fight. You pretty much said you need yokai slayers. I could help. I've trained in martial arts." Then she realized she was being rude and fell silent.  
  
"That's not why you are here. You're not even from our dimension. For starters, how are you and the neko the same?"  
  
"Well it's a long story. It starts in the Jusankyo Springs, in China where there are a lot of springs where animals and people drowned. The way I was raised, you intentionally have to fall into a spring. I fell in the Neko Niichuan(6). It rained before I got here and I turned into a neko. I fell in a sewer drain and now I'm here."  
  
"See, Ogre. I knew I was right. It was a complete accident she died, that she's even here. So we'd better bring her back to life. Plus neko are really easy to bring back to life because they're small. But, she has to help Yusuke," Koenma appeared a bit cocky.  
  
Outwardly, Torashi was calm and collected. Inwardly was completely opposite. "Thank you so much Koenma-sama. I will try very hard to please you."  
  
"Koenma-sama, did you even realize that she has the same last name as me?" the ogre said.  
  
"Jorge, you didn't tell me you had ningen(7) family!"  
  
"Uh, I don't think we're related, Koenma-sama," they both said in unison.  
  
"If you say so. We will be finding out how to get you back. Jorge, show her out and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."  
  
Jorge led Torashi to the exit and she sat down, back against the wall.  
  
Torashi waited for Botan. She sat with an uninterested expression on her face and almost fell asleep. "Damn. This sucks!" She said to no one in particular.  
  
Back in Ningenkai, Kuwabara Kazuma was taking a walk, no doubt looking for someone threatening.  
  
In the gutter lay a poor sleeping neko to his eyes. Kuwabara had a strange obsession with nekos and he picked this neko up. Then he backtracked and went home to care for her.  
  
Opening the door, Kuwabara yelled to his oneesan(8), "Hey Shizuru, I found another neko. I'll keep her until she's ready to go."  
  
"You have way to many, bro. Last one, ok?" Shizuru called from the T.V. room.  
  
"Oh, all right Shizuru, last one."  
  
"Give it a bath. It's filthy."  
  
"The neko's a she. She will be nice and clean," Kuwabara said as he walked into the bathroom.  
  
"Damn, Botan, you took forever!" Torashi shouted as the Guide flew towards her. She slowed down. "Well, thanks for coming. The wait was boring."  
  
"It took a while. Let's get you back to the Ningenkai now."  
  
Stupid Botan. Always quirky, Torashi thought.  
  
A while later, they arrived in Ningenkai.  
  
"Damn, I'm so tired. I missed my catnaps. I'm a ghost and I'm hungry. How can something unsubstantial need food?"  
  
"Torashi, be quiet. We're close to where you are. So stop complaining."  
  
"Where am I going to stay? What is there to eat here?"  
  
"Torashi. Shut up! Don't say anything until we reach your body."  
  
"Well then, I can talk. We're here. Or at least this is where it should be. I don't see it. Where is it?" Torashi asked looking around.  
  
"You should know. Your spirit should be in tune to where your body is. All I have to do is make sure you get back all right, so you're on your own."  
  
"I'll pretend you didn't say that," Torashi said as she landed on the ground. She knelt to sniff the ground, calling on her neko-like abilities. "Hm...This way."  
  
Torashi took off running, unknowingly following Kuwabara's path.  
  
Torashi made it to the house before Botan. She was going to knock when Botan showed up.  
  
"Torashi, you baka(9)! You can't knock. You're a ghost. You don't even have to."  
  
"I don't get you Botan. First you yell at me for not being polite enough. Now you yell at me for being too polite. What the hell is up with that?"  
  
"You're so annoying, even worse than Yusuke ever was."  
  
"Oh, I'm honored."  
  
"You shouldn't be."  
  
"Let's just go inside. No sense waiting out here any longer."  
  
"For once you might actually be right, Torashi. Amazing."  
  
"If you took out the 'might actually' you'd be right. And there's nothing amazing about that."  
  
They walked into the house. Torashi sniffed the air.  
  
They followed the scent to the bathroom.  
  
"Shit Botan. Do you think it's safe to go in?"  
  
"Why should you care?"  
  
"Sometimes you really piss me off. I'll be glad to get rid of you as soon as possible. But I don't know how this works, so, dammit all!"  
  
"Torashi, just go in."  
  
"Fine. The sooner, the better. At least I'll be rid of you," Torashi smiled at that thought. She walked through the door.  
  
Kuwabara held the small neko, in his hands. He had a different feeling about this neko. But she looked just like all the others.  
  
Before setting her in the bath, he gave the neko the traditional 'ritual'; he kissed her on the nose. Plop! Kuwabara sat the neko in the water. Then, the neko wasn't a neko anymore.  
  
With that 'kiss' Torashi returned to being one with her body. Dammit. Why'd it have to be warm water? She thought.  
  
The neko was back as a living being, before she was sat down in the water, but she didn't have time to do much.  
  
When she landed in the water, she turned back into her ningen form. She looked down. Realizing she had no clothes, she blushed furiously. Then she realized Kuwabara was also looking.  
  
"You HENTAI(10)!" She yelled, slapping him across the face.  
  
The name Torashi I translate as 'tiger storm' but I really combined Tiger (Tora) and storm (Arashi) so it sounds cool. I changed it from Neyoko because of my own private little reasons.... If you really want to know, e- mail me! haha ;)  
  
Translations:  
  
1) Cat, Get used to it, you'll be seeing it a lot... 2) What 3) Spirit World 4) Demon 5) Human Realm 6) Spring of Drowned Cat (You know I've watched way too much Ranma...) 7) Human 8) Older sister. There are several other forms, but this one's my favorite  
  
9) Used as stupid, fool, idiot and other similar things. This was the first word I learned because of the "baka song." 10) Pervert 


	2. A Regular Day

Author's Note: Well, time for more characters, and character development. Also, I have discovered that there are several ways to spell Yusuke's girlfriend's name. In this Fic, I chose to use the one on the back of the second DVD (Artifacts of Darkness). In the last episode of the DVD "The Three Eyes of Hiei" it reads, "Hiei is chasing him, and kidnaps his girlfriend Kayko!" So, that's how I will use it.  
  
And I might add that I have indeed used quotes from other anime. The one I used in the last one, "They are both one in mind and body" or whatever, was from Ranma ½. The beginning of this story is there, but the rest is in the Yu Yu place. Some quotes could be from Yu Yu, too, but, whatever....  
  
And by the way, if you're looking for a love story, find some other FF to read. There's not very much even in the sweet parts....  
  
2. A Regular Day  
  
"Damn! Not even Kayko's punches are that hard," Kuwabara said earnestly.  
  
"I'm sorry. You startled me and I just reacted." Torashi replied, perturbed by the whole thing.  
  
Kuwabara, Shizuru, Torashi, and, much to Torashi's disgust, Botan were walking to the yokai Kurama's house. While they walked Botan told Kuwabara about Torashi, making the excuse that Torashi was a Rekai Tantei from China who was sent to help Yusuke out.  
  
Shizuru realized Torashi was falling behind. She stopped, waiting for the Chinese girl. "Hey kid, are you doing all right? I hope you aren't letting that idiot I call a bro get to you."  
  
"I'm fine," Torashi replied. Shizuru had been so kind to her. She didn't want her to make more problems. She made it Kuwabara's fault that the event happened. She'd even lent Torashi clothes, and, even though she was practically swimming in the clothes, she didn't want to seem greedy.  
  
She wasn't paying much attention to things, so was grateful when Kuwabara explained their plan. "Ok, so we're going to Kurama's house where we're supposed to meet up with Hiei and Yusuke. It's mainly a group decision what happens from there."  
  
"You sound stupid when you say that," Torashi muttered. She hated him from the start.  
  
The rest of the way was passed in silence. There wasn't anything to say that was worth saying it. Botan was keeping to herself, which was quite unusual.  
  
The silence broke when they arrived at their destination.  
  
A young man with brilliant red hair and stunning green eyes was standing at the door of a very well kept house.  
  
"Hello Kuwabara, Botan, Shizuru, and I don't believe I know you?" the red head had a charming voice and seemed so polite.  
  
Torashi smiled. "I'm Saotome Torashi. And you are?"  
  
"Minamino Shuichi."  
  
Confused, Torashi looked at Botan for an answer. Was he a servant or something?  
  
Lightly Botan answered her unasked question. "His ningen name. The one you use around his (1)okasan."  
  
What the hell was that supposed to mean? A yokai with an okasan? Torashi wasn't sure yokai had mothers in the first place. There was something about Shuichi she could feel. Strength that was belied by his appearance.  
  
Another guy appeared behind Shuichi. This guy had dark hair that was slicked back to reveal brown eyes.  
  
"(2)Oy! You must be that kid that damned Koenma sent. All he told me was that you were a girl from China. What was your name again?"  
  
"Saotome Torashi. And who the hell are you?" Torashi snapped, disliking the delinquent from the start.  
  
"I'm Urameshi Yusuke," he smiled as he pointed his thumb at his chest.  
  
Shuichi felt that Yusuke and Torashi would get into an argument, not a good idea for someone he'd never seen before. So he changed the subject. "Come in. You don't need to wait outside any longer."  
  
Shizuru declined politely. "I have to be going. My brother will tell me the parts if he's going anywhere or else..." she threatened with a clenched fist.  
  
Kuwabara looked like he couldn't care less.  
  
Kurama led them to the living room. "Please make yourself comfortable, Torashi-san. We need to discuss some things in private."  
  
He, Yusuke, and Kuwabara left the room, walking through the door on their right. Torashi was curious to know what they'd talk about, and would have snuck around to find out, but she was so tired. She didn't even realize that Ms. Shiori (Shuichi's okasan, if you were wondering) brought in refreshments.  
  
"I know we shouldn't jump to conclusions when Hiei isn't here, but I think that Torashi should help us. We don't quite know what is expected of us yet, but she might..." Kurama said, expressing his thoughts.  
  
"If that's your only reason, she's leaving! She probably can't fight an old hag! Let alone anything we cross with." Yusuke apparently didn't like what he saw in Saotome Torashi.  
  
"Well, she's got a nice body." Kuwabara said, looking away from the group.  
  
"Kuwabara! We're serious!" Yusuke was showing he was irritated at the whole idea of fighting with the girl.  
  
Hiei let himself in through the open window. "And Kuwabara doesn't know what serious is. Who is Torashi?"  
  
Yusuke rolled his eyes and Hiei glared at him before Kurama answered, "Koenma sent us a reinforcement."  
  
"Do we need a girl messing things up?" Yusuke stated angrily.  
  
"What do you think, Hiei?" Kurama asked, hoping Hiei wouldn't follow Yusuke on this.  
  
"It all depends on what she can handle. That is when I will decide," Hiei replied logically.  
  
That was a pretty fair answer from Hiei. Promising, because he would usually say no to such a thing.  
  
"How about you, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"Uh...I don't know. She sure packs a hard punch. She doesn't seem that pathetic." Kuwabara answered.  
  
"Be reasonable Yusuke. We may need help." Kurama asked the young (3)Reikai Tantei.  
  
"We're not responsible for her. Let her come if she wants to die," Yusuke replied. "Besides, if she does come along we need information. And, who's she going to stay with? She can't afford anything, she looks dirt poor. Defiantly not at my house. Okasan would have another 'you're cheatin on Kayko' fit."  
  
"She wouldn't want to stay at my place. It's uh...to messy." Kuwabara covered.  
  
"I don't want to baby sit." Hiei said vehemently.  
  
"I don't think my okasan would mind if she stayed here," Kurama curtly suggested.  
  
"Ok then. If she stays here, she will stay with Kurama," Yusuke made it official. "She even kinda looks like you too, Kurama. You could pretend she's your sister in public or something. So, let's go see if she knows anything."  
  
Torashi sneezed, which woke her up from her nap. "What the hell? Whose talking bout me? The cooked fish were just starting the next dance." Torashi yawned.  
  
Yusuke entered the room. "Hey, Torashi. Get your lazy ass up. You wont be able to come if you're always asleep."  
  
"Did you just say I could come fight with you?" Torashi asked for clarification.  
  
"If you work." Yusuke replied, and then he turned to Botan. "So what's going on?"  
  
"Well, let's see. There are a lot of yokai coming into Ningenkai. As usual, you need to track them down. Also there's been a lot more deformities in the barrier to the Makai(4) since that one not too long ago."  
  
Torashi looked curiously at Botan, but she glared and Torashi decided she didn't need to know.  
  
"How're we going to find these things?" Torashi asked.  
  
"You."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are how they will find yokai. Cats are naturally in tune to the super natural. At least more than others."  
  
"Shit. I don't know a thing bout these creatures and you want me to..."  
  
Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara walked into the room and Torashi stopped talking.  
  
"Hiei, this is Torashi. Torashi, this is Hiei," Kurama introduced.  
  
"I think she is in trouble," Hiei remarked.  
  
Torashi looked questionably at Hiei, but didn't receive an explanation. There was something different about Hiei and Kurama, a strange air. Yusuke and Kuwabara had something like it. What could it be? A yokai, maybe? Perhaps...  
  
Torashi's stomach growled. She looked down. "(5) Gomen asi. I was so tired I didn't eat."  
  
Every one thought it was hilarious and laughed, but Hiei. The two weren't exactly what she thought a yokai would be. Hiei was pretty dark looking, but he was short. She thought they were supposed to be big, bad, and have lots of eyes. Kurama and Hiei didn't remind her of that, one was short, and the other, well a bishie(6). Torashi decided she didn't like Hiei. Seemed like a stick in the mud to her.  
  
"Um, can I have something to eat?" she asked carefully.  
  
Shuichi's okasan heard her and came in. "Just give me a second. I'll make you lunch."  
  
She sounded like Kurama, the way she talked. Very polite and dignified.  
  
Kurama followed her to the kitchen. "Okasan, would it be all right if Torashi stayed here while she's in Japan?"  
  
"Shuichi that would be wonderful. You barely ever have friends over," she replied cheerfully.  
  
"Arigatto." Kurama said as he left, carrying a bowl.  
  
"So, Torashi. How much do you know about us? The Urameshi Team." Yusuke asked, cocky again.  
  
"Not much. Now I know you, and that Kuwabara needs to learn where to keep his eyes. That's it."  
  
"It was your own fault. You could have told me," Kuwabara defended himself.  
  
"You sound stupid when you talk. Cats don't. They can't even talk. Baka."  
  
Shuichi's okasan walked in with a tray of food. Torashi took it, glaring at Kuwabara. "Leave me alone, Kuwabara. I have food and I will bite."  
  
Torashi was so busy eating, she didn't realize it when the others left. When she was done she resumed her sleep, ignoring the rest of the world.  
  
This time there were no dancing fish. Instead there was a beautiful (authors note. I allow myself the word beautiful for Yoko because he is. Some situations allow for beautiful to refer to Bishies...) fox yokai and a neko-like yokai. They were leaning against each other on a hill overlooking a lake, bracing each other's sorrows.  
  
But that didn't last long. Ms. Shiori woke her up, saying, "Hey. Botan dropped some clothes off for you. Breakfast is ready."  
  
Torashi yawned as she stretched. "Already? I guess it's all right. I could eat your cooking all day."  
  
"Shuichi said you should stay inside while he is at school. So you can help me decide what to cook for supper. Is that all right for you?"  
  
Damn Kurama, tell me to stay inside all day. What the hell was he thinking anyway? Torashi thought angrily. But she agreed, putting on a child-like face.  
  
Ms. Shiori held the clothes out for Torashi. She grabbed them. It reeked of the Gate of Judgment. Disgusting to Torashi. Shuichi's okasan left the room "Hm...this is interesting." The clothes were just like her usual attire; light blue cotton pants, a blue silk shirt, and Botan had obviously added in a strange watch/compass thing.  
  
Torashi got dressed and the day began.  
  
When Shuichi came home, Torashi was nowhere to be seen, she was thinking to surprise him, then tell him off for the 'stay inside all day' thing. It didn't work as she planed.  
  
She hid in the shadows of the hall. The shadows welcomed her; since she was a true neko.  
  
Shuichi talked with his okasan for a few minutes, then walked down the hall to put his bag away, looking down the whole way.  
  
He looked up. "Good afternoon, Torashi-san."  
  
"How the hell? No one can find me when I hide in the shadows," Torashi asked coming into the hall.  
  
"You leave a distinct trail."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have been in the kitchen all day. You are covered in flour." He smiled.  
  
Torashi adverted her eyes, then noticed the flour on the ground. She decided to change the subject. "Why did I have to stay inside all day?"  
  
"Yokai are prowling around. I don't think it would be right to let you get caught up with any of them yet. You don't look like you could hold your own against one of them. And you haven't harnessed your rei yet."  
  
She could hold her own quite well. Basically, he was saying she's a girl.  
  
"What's rei?"  
  
"I'll tell you another time."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Okasan doesn't know anything yet. All she knows is Shuichi."  
  
He turned away from Torashi.  
  
He doesn't want to talk to you. Screw-up. How do you expect to stay if you keep screwing up? she asked her self.  
  
The phone rang. Torashi reached the phone first; she wasn't especially hungry from her taste testing. She bolted to the kitchen.  
  
"Hello. This is the Minamino residence."  
  
"Torashi, right? Can I talk to Shuichi." Demand not a question.  
  
She blinked. He knew her name. Was it the guy with the gelled back hair? What was his name?  
  
Shuichi walked into the room. Torashi handed him the phone, saying, "It's for you. What's his face."  
  
Kurama accepted the phone, looking at Torashi curiously. Torashi jumped onto the counter. She might want to hear this.  
  
"What are we looking for?" Shuichi asked immediately after hearing the voice. Obviously he had been told something.  
  
"Don't ask me." Torashi quirked. No other phones where in the house, so this was fine. Call her a girl again will he.  
  
He glared at her. She jumped off the counter and was about to leave, when Shuichi stopped her. Now it was her turn to glare. She muttered, "Men. I'll never get men."  
  
"All right. I'll see you there. Bring her? All right," he paused and exchanged conversation with Yusuke.  
  
Why me. Do I finally get to prove myself?  
  
The click of the phone brought her out of thought. "Great. It's getting dark and we gotta go do our job. I bet they do best in darkness." Torashi said sarcastically.  
  
"Most of them hate the darkness. Mostly the ones that have seen the light of the Ningenkai," Kurama explained.  
  
"What a load of b.s. Well, lets go."  
  
They walked out of the kitchen.  
  
Kurama called to his okasan. "Okasan, we're going out for a while. I'll see you later."  
  
Then they left, into the sunset. Kurama was followed close by the Chinese neko.  
  
Translations:  
  
1) Mother, mom... 2) Hey 3) Spirit detective 4) Demon Realm. In the new season, there was a group trying to make a hole into the demon realm. Basically, they're carrying on Sakyo's wishes unintentionally. Jus a lil info cuz I'll work with something like that.  
  
5) I'm sorry 6) Short for Bishonen, well I'm sure you can tell, a feminine guy. Usually has a 'sissy' weapon that doesn't look like it could do anything (Like the Rose Whip, or like Kenshin's Sacabato (reverse bladed sword) (Rurouni Kenshin....), oh yeah and you can't forget they should have an angsty past (some don't, the main thing is they look like girls. That's what makes you love em though. . Of course, they could be or they're really cute or hot or cool or...) 


	3. What was that?

3. What was that?  
  
Torashi and Kurama were the last ones to arrive at the meeting place. Kuwabara, Yusuke and even Hiei were waiting at the fountain in the park. Torashi avoided being near it, not ready to reveal the 'curse' to these people yet.  
  
'What are we looking for?" Torashi asked, unaware that anything unusual was happening.  
  
"A yokai." Yusuke said as if it explained everything.  
  
"How do you find one?"  
  
"Can you sense the things like the yokai and stuff?" Kuwabara looked surprised.  
  
"Botan said I could, but I don't know. I've never seen one before."  
  
"Obviously you don't know what Kurama and Hiei are. They're both yokai. Try to find something like Hiei's energy." Yusuke suggested. "Or use the Reikikai."  
  
At Torashi's blank look he defined it. "That watch thing. That probably won't work though. It's crap."  
  
Torashi closed her eyes studying the air about Hiei. She looked for something similar, other than Kurama. That gave her a headache.  
  
"Ah. I can't do it!" she said walking over to the fountain and holding her head in her hands. Then a light sensation tugged at her senses. If she had neko ears, they would have twitched and perked up.  
  
"Wait a second." She stood up. "This way!" She took off in the direction her new senses were telling her.  
  
The darkness crept in. Torashi's eyes were adapted from her neko form. Her personal preference was prowling around after the sun set.  
  
The darkness made it easier for Torashi to see the yokai. She stopped in the alleyway, blocking its escape.  
  
The thing was hungry by the looks if it. It had the remains of an inu(1) in its mutilated mouth.  
  
It was a giant rat, but it was also something else, something similar to a human. It was surrounded with the essence of death.  
  
Although it was bigger than Torashi, it looked like it would be a short game of cat and mouse.  
  
The guys ran up behind her. "I got it. This thing pisses me off just looking at it," she stated.  
  
Hiei smirked. "Go ahead. You can't use your rei yet. This will be interesting."  
  
"Who needs something like that? Someone who's as short as you might but not me," Torashi shot back.  
  
The yokai turned to the group designated to kill it. "Who will be the first to go? I still have room left for all of you pitiful beings in my stomach," it growled in a gravely voice.  
  
"Low C," Kurama muttered. Torashi didn't know what that meant, but decided she didn't care.  
  
Torashi's eyes narrowed. "I'll fight you. But you won't even remember because dead things can't think."  
  
The thing laughed, or at least, that's what it should have been. "Bit sure of yourself, are you?"  
  
"I've got reasons. No sense telling a dead thing, though."  
  
Torashi ran forward. She jumped like a neko, and punched the yokai repeatedly in the top of its ugly head. She was surprised when the yokai counter-attacked, swinging a deformed arm into her stomach.  
  
She ended up being flung into a trio of trashcans, gasping for breath. She struggled up, muttering, "Dammit. That should have worked."  
  
She relied on the four Reikai tantei to destroy the beast. Yusuke used something called a (1)'Rei Gun', Kuwabara had a (2)'Rei Ken', Hiei used a katana, and Kurama had a beautiful 'rose whip'. The beast was turned into oblivion.  
  
Yusuke smiled in satisfaction. The he turned to Torashi. "What the hell was that supposed to be?" he yelled.  
  
"That was close to fourteen years worth of experience going down the drain. What the hell was it that it could withstand that?" She yelled back.  
  
"You need Reikai in order to kill those things!"  
  
"Which, might I add, you need to learn to control," Hiei added, smirking again.  
  
"Well, at least she helped us find the thing. That worked a lot better than the Reikikai," Kurama defended her with those words. "I'll try teaching her to utilize rei. We have got to go. Come on Torashi."  
  
He turned and left. Torashi glared at his back before struggling to follow. She felt totally undignified.  
  
"Can you really teach me (3) sensei?" she asked Kurama, joking.  
  
Kurama laughed. "You can't learn to use rei. Hiei knows that, but he won't tell Yusuke. I just told them that so okasan wouldn't worry about us being out too late."  
  
"Ok, then." Torashi agreed, not really listening after Kurama mentioned Hiei.  
  
She was confused. Torashi wanted to ask if they used rei to kill that thing. But then he might think she was a baka. Or he'd answer and she'd be wrong or something. How the hell would she find out? Maybe if she learned how to use rei then she'd know. Then she'd learn.  
  
The walk to Shuichi's house was silent.  
  
Torashi went to sleep as soon as they were home.  
  
Torashi thought she should have returned Shizuru's clothes. Then she fell asleep to a horrible nightmare. She was in a field filled with rats, and she was unable to do anything.  
  
Definitions: Dog. An obvious one, like Inu Yasha. Spirit Gun. You probably know this one. Another obvious one. Spirit Sword. Sounds better in Japanese, specially when he make it grow. 'Extend' not 'grow longer. Sorry, a little side note. ( Teacher  
  
Ok. I told you it was short. The next chapter's even better. Please review. My muses check these things, so look out. 


	4. Torashi's Stand

Author's note: Title's kinda a spoof thing. Sounds familiar from the Dark Tournament? Maybe Kurama's stand???! That was the point. Not quite the same, though. Sorry. If I hadn't stated before, or if I did it's a reminder, I AM INSANE. Later and enjoy.  
  
Chapter 4. Torashi's Stand  
  
Kurama came into the room. Torashi was half asleep, but she felt him enter and sat up.  
  
"Good morning, Torashi. We are going out today."  
  
"Out?" Torashi asked simply, still half asleep. She was never one of the morning people.  
  
"Out in public. Don't try to pick fights. You need clothes and things," Kurama replied simply.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't pick fights." She said innocently. "But, I don't have any money."  
  
"I'll lend you some. Now get ready. I will be in the back yard when you are done."  
  
It took Torashi about five minutes to get ready, then she went to see Kurama in the back yard.  
  
She walked out the back door. There was a small garden, and it all seamed to want to be around Kurama. A bean plant was curling around his left ankle like a neko. A sunflower bloomed as its leaves brushed his shoulder.  
  
Torashi remembered the rose he had used the night before. She wished she could find out more about that. But she did kind of deserve to be left in the dark; she kept her own secrets as well.  
  
She turned to go, as if she didn't see anything, but Kurama called to her.  
  
"Hey Torashi. Are you ready to go?"  
  
Was he actually going to talk to her after she'd seen him like that? She wouldn't even talk to herself after that. Maybe it was something normal to him, and since she kind of knew, maybe it didn't matter.  
  
"I...I guess." She turned around, looking at the ground to avoid eye contact, highly embarrassed. "Is it just you and me? Or is someone else coming?" Torashi asked, thinking of her problem with names, if it was safe to call him Kurama, or not. Shuichi didn't work as well for a name, in her opinion.  
  
"It will be just the two of us." As if reading her mind, he added quietly, "You may refer to me as Kurama."  
  
And they left, an uncomfortable silence between them mainly from Torashi.  
  
They stopped at Kuwabara's house first, dropping off Shizuru's clothes. Then Torashi and Kurama headed to the shopping center.  
  
There they got breakfast. Then Kurama decided to help Torashi get clothes. Torashi finally decided on black capris, a white t-shirt, and a pair of traditional Japanese shoes, as well as an outfit like the one she was wearing. As a small secret, she added in a light blue cloak with a black and white shawl, figuring it would come in handy.  
  
Then Torashi got the basic things she needed. After that was lunch. They walked around for a while. Torashi was fascinated with almost everything. Tired of walking the two Reikai Tantei stopped for an early supper.  
  
That's where they picked up a strange follower. They were about half way home when Torashi realized the weird presence.  
  
"Kurama-kun. Something's following us."  
  
Kurama turned toward her, his green eyes meeting her blue. "What do you think it is, Torashi-san?"  
  
"There's a yokai following us. Do you see anything that looks like one?" Torashi was afraid to look back. She didn't want to fight another one, not so soon.  
  
"There's a strangely dressed 'man' close by. He's Kuwabara-kun's height," Kurama paused. He grabbed her hand, and turned, pulling her along. "The yokai is wearing a large over coat. A hat hides his face. A little of his skin is showing from his pocket, and it is covered in scales like a..."  
  
"Like a lizard?" Torashi interrupted curiously.  
  
"Like a snake."  
  
"Where are we going? Are we going to fight it?"  
  
"It will probably come to that. So we can't let these humans get involved."  
  
"You're sure it's a yokai?"  
  
"Yes. Unless it's a human playing a pathetic prank."  
  
"You're joking, right?"  
  
Kurama looked at her, and smiled. Surprised, Torashi found herself smiling back. The smile fit Kurama better than those plants did.  
  
Kurama led Torashi out of the city to a small forest, then a clearing in the midst of the forest.  
  
"Do we have to go so far?" Torashi complained.  
  
"I don't want any human's to see this."  
  
"About the fight. Do you know if I could..."  
  
Kurama interrupted. "You don't understand, Torashi-san. This kind of fight. It's not one you could win. Not right now. So, please don't try. I don't want anything to happen to you."  
  
It was odd, hearing him say that. No one had ever said anything like that to her. Of course she used to be able to fend for herself.  
  
They waited patently in the clearing. Kurama had a rose out, an ordinary one Torashi noted. Maybe he used his reikai to make it into a whip, she mused.  
  
The stalker walked into the clearing. He took off the overcoat; it would either be easier to move without it, or his opponents deserved to know what he looked like. Kurama was indeed correct, he was a snake.  
  
A snakelike nose and a mouth under beady snake eyes on a human face was on top of a human shaped scaly body. It had legs and a snake tail. A regular nightmare.  
  
Kurama muttered something under his breath, most likely the things name.  
  
"I see you recognize me. I'm flattered," the snake hissed.  
  
"Why were you following us?" Kurama demanded.  
  
"News travels fast Yoko. I wanted to punish the traitor who walks easily amongst humans."  
  
"Unlike you, who has to slink around in disguise."  
  
"Don't stray from the subject Yoko. I'll punish you for that!"  
  
The snake thing attacked, slowed by his bulk. Torashi and Kurama jumped easily, landing behind him.  
  
The yokai turned. "I see the both of you expected that. Yoko's speed is the same. But what's a little bitch like you doing with a traitor?"  
  
"Mind your own business ass hole," Torashi replied vehemently, thankful to be recognized.  
  
Kurama took the distraction to his advantage, moving closer. His rose turned into his specialty, his Rose Whip, as he jumped at the threatening yokai. With surprising reflexes, the thing counterattacked. Avoiding the whip and brushing Kurama off like a fly. Kurama was flung into a tree and beyond, into the forest where he landed. Torashi couldn't see as well.  
  
"You bastard! How the hell could you possibly move that fast?" Torashi shut her eyes as she yelled.  
  
"Skills. I was testing you before. And now it's time for you to die as well."  
  
Oh shit, Torashi thought. I'd better attack first. That way he might laugh so hard I could kick his ass that way. She ran at the snake thing.  
  
Anger coursed through her blood, along with something else, something more deadly.  
  
Torashi almost fell over, she stopped so fast. There were three smaller versions of Kuwabara's Rei-ken at the joining of her knuckles.  
  
"What the hell is that?" The yokai asked as surprised as Torashi.  
  
"I don't know!" Torashi yelled. The things had disappeared when she recognized them.  
  
The yokai's focus was purely on the Chinese cat. Kurama had appeared behind it and took advantage.  
  
"Rose Whip." Kurama slashed the snake thing. It fell to the ground in a couple pieces.  
  
Torashi looked at Kurama. He was leaning heavily against a tree, breathing hard. Torashi ran to him.  
  
"Kurama-kun. Are you all right? Can you walk?"  
  
Kurama tried to stand on his own, but collapsed into her arms. Torashi attempted to brace him, although she was a little shorter.  
  
"Of course you can't." she muttered to herself. "I'm such a baka."  
  
"I can walk, Torashi-san. I just need to rest a moment." Kurama was embarrassed to rely on someone, anyone, for that matter.  
  
"Nonsense. It's getting dark and your okasan'll worry."  
  
"But, I..."  
  
Torashi didn't want any more excuses. "No. Have you ever noticed the way lovebirds walk? Well, we could act like that, I guess. You can lean on me and it won't look like anything's wrong. Just don't strain yourself."  
  
"If you don't think it would be a good idea, then..." he trailed off.  
  
"I don't care. It might be odd, but...We need to get you home. Ready?"  
  
Kurama slung his arm around Torashi's shoulder. She, in turn slung her arm around his waist. He leaned heavily on her for support. That was how they left the place of Torashi's change of style. 


	5. Finally, Some Explanations

Chapter 5: Finally, Some Explanations.  
  
They walked in silence, the injured red headed teenage boy, and the disgruntled Chinese girl, side by side. A perfect couple, supposedly.   
  
"Can we stop for a few minutes?" Torashi asked quietly. She was beginning to get tired.  
  
"I don't mind." Kurama answered just as quietly.  
  
They walked silently into a deserted park and sat on the closest bench they could find. Both leaned against the other, one for support, the other for comfort.  
  
"He called you Yoko. Why?" Torashi asked, still quiet. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know the answer.   
  
"Yoko was my yokai name."  
  
"Then where did Shuichi come from? And do all yokai have a ningen okasan?"   
  
"Slow down, Torashi-san. I was once a (1) kitsune yokai. I spent my time cracking codes and breaking locks in a band of thieves. One mission failed and I was greatly injured by a strong yokai hunter. My only hope of survival was to have my spirit possess a ningen. My okasan," Kurama said. It didn't sound as if he enjoyed what had happened.  
  
"The thing mentioned something about a 'Dark Tournament', what is it?"  
  
"Some yokai form teams of five to compete against one another in official combat."  
  
"And you were in something like that?!" Torashi was amazed that Kurama would be in such a brutal thing.   
  
"Yes, and it's not as bad as you might think. Some teams..." Kurama smiled as he recalled Toya.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I rediscovered how being a full yokai was again. In the semifinals we were oddly matched against team Uriatogi. An Illusion Beast named Uri Urishima decided he didn't like me. I was taller and better looking than him, so would use his Idunn Box to send me back to before I was a baby." Kurama smiled. The memory was pleasant for him. "Of course, no one except Hiei and Yusuke knew I was the legendary bandit before that. It was such a shame it lasted only a short while. But, I knew it was possible. I left the fight knowing I could win the finals if I had that option. A man from the yokai's favorite team, Team Tuguro, decided he took a distinct liking time. Karasu threatened me right after I saw his fight, saw what he could do." Kurama was frightened of that. "The team leader from team Uriatogi, the 'Beautiful Yokai Battler' Suzuki, decided to aid Kuwabara and myself. He gave Kuwabara a trial sword, it magnified his rei- ken, and he gave myself a potion, containing the same substance as the Box. 'He may not be able to fight Tuguro, but at least his items would.' I used the potion in the finals. It got me far enough to be able to kill Karasu. Unfortunately, the committee called the fight a win for Tuguro, I was unable to stand."  
  
Shallow bastards, Torashi thought, couldn't bear to have the underdogs win. She would have loved to beat them. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It isn't your fault. Don't apologize."  
  
"I made you talk about it."  
  
"I think I needed to."  
  
"Yusuke knew you were a yokai? How?" Torashi didn't feel like arguing.  
  
"I told him after we had met. A couple years ago, Hiei had asked me if we could team up and steal the 'Artifacts of Darkness': the Kama no Ken, the Ankokukyo, and the Gakidama. My okasan had fallen ill with an incurable disease. So, I agreed, taking the Ankokukyo and retreated. I promised Yusuke I'd return it to him; I didn't tell him I'd use it first. The Ankokukyo grants the desire of the wielder at a horrible price. Can you guess what that was, Torashi-san?"  
  
"Nothing I know of would attract a Mirror."  
  
"Life. It was strongest at the full moon. I wanted my okasan well again more than anything. Yusuke was there when I use did, and he demanded the Ankokukyo take his life instead. It decided not to take any life at all, and my desire was fulfilled. (Of course, I, The Author, have decided the Ankokukyo was so confused it decided not to take either, but, I'll stick to the story...) That's what happened with me. I was the most fortunate, for the other two were punished. Goki took the Gakidama, a ball that eats children souls. Yusuke killed him." Kurama obviously didn't care. "Hiei on the other hand made a mistake. He took Yusuke's girl friend, Kayko. Yusuke's rei rises with his strong emotions. He beat Hiei on accident. Hiei is a master at speed and Yusuke was too new to beat him. So he bounced his Rei-Gun of the Ankokukyu and hit Hiei. Now, the two of us help Yusuke, which is the only way to keep us from going to the lava pits." That sounded like a joke.  
  
"What about Hiei? What's up with him?"  
  
"I don't think he would enjoy me telling you his life story. He respects Yusuke; not very many ningen get that, as you know. Or yokai, for that matter."  
  
"The Rose Whip you use. It's a regular rose, until you use it." It was a question, although it didn't sound like one.   
  
"I use yoki to transform it. But you used something similar, rei, in the clearing. The idea is the same as Kuwabara's Rei-ken. But it seems a bit more...cat-like."  
  
"Like cat claws." Torashi was feeling a bit embarrassed. Kurama had told her somethings and she hadn't told him anything. "I'm not exactly from around here. In China there is a place called the Jusankyo Springs. Animals have drowned it the springs and if a person falls in, they turn into that animal. Animal with cold water, human when splashed with hot water. I turn into a neko."  
  
"Well, that explains a lot. Neko are in tune to the Spirit Realm. And you have proven yourself by tracking yokai."  
  
He didn't ask any more questions from her than that. She might not have told him anyway. She was good at changing subjects.   
  
"Hey, Kurama-kun. Can we go now?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Torashi stood up first, and then helped Kurama. They resumed the positions and walked home in silence, each running through what they learned about the other.  
  
Torashi woke up, the sun playing across her face, blinding her as she opened her blue eyes. Cursing under her breath, she thought of her dream. Or did it really happen?   
  
Kurama walked down the hall and into the back (2) Shoji. He stepped back, startled. Then realizing he ran into it, he opened it and walked outside.  
  
Ok. Suspicion confirmed. Kurama looked tired, he never did before. I'll try helping him, she thought.  
  
She messed around in the kitchen for a while, and then she went out to see him. "Ohayoo, Shuichi-kun. Did you sleep well?"   
  
"Oh, Torashi-san. I didn't know you were out here."   
  
"Here. I made this tea for you. My foster mother made it for me after I did a couple things." In her work she had tested poisons, allowing herself to use them without fear. She'd also got herself beaten up sometimes... She handed Kurama the cup. "It's supposed to wake you up and give you back strength." Kurama needed strength; the plants were acting...like plants.   
  
"(3) Arigatou."  
  
"No problem. Does your 'kasan know about Kurama?" Torashi asked curiously.  
  
"What?"  
  
Torashi smiled. Sleepiness and Kurama didn't go well together. "Your other self."  
  
Kurama took a sip of the tea she had given him. It was a little bitter, but decent all the same. "I don't think she needs to know."  
  
That wasn't the truth, Torashi realized. "What if you die, or get beaten up. She'd wonder. You might want to tell her. She will eventually wonder. That's how she is. I know. She treats me like I was her own, as well." Just like her foster mother had.  
  
"You don't tell people things like that. It isn't a curse, not something I can fix. It's me. And she might not accept me any more for who I am."  
  
"Then let me tell you the full truth. It is true I'm from China, in a way. My dad willingly gave me away to a woman from China for some food. That is why I am a neko. But what's more is...how did Koenma say it... I'm from a different dimension. Will you shun me for that? Or the fact I died at my place and came back to life here? That would be a damn good reason to ignore me. But will you?" She wasn't happy telling Kurama, but she said it bravely, fiercely.   
  
Kurama didn't answer right away. He drank the tea. "Yoko would."  
  
"I'm not asking if he would. I don't know Yoko. I know Minamino Shuichi. That is who I am asking."  
  
He turned, looking her in the eyes. "I would not shun you. I don't think I would have the heart to. But do you tell that to everyone? I do not think so."  
  
Torashi broke the connection, uncomfortable, looking instead at the ground.  
  
"I have found out about the rei. Can you help me learn more? To call my Rei-tsume up freely?"  
  
"It isn't something I think I can do."  
  
"I'll prove it to you. Fight me. That is the way I learn. Danger is the best way to cure a curious neko."  
  
"I think Yusuke would be more..."  
  
"No!" Torashi interrupted. "Yusuke and Kuwabara pose me no threats. I trust you to help, Kurama-sensei. (4)"  
  
"I'll help you, just stop calling me sensei."  
  
"Arigatou. When do you think we should start? Where?" Torashi asked, excited.  
  
"Calm down. We'll start later this afternoon in a clearing. Not many people go into that forest, so we should be fine."  
  
Torashi smiled. "I'll see you then."  
  
Definitions:  
  
(1) Fox.   
  
(2) Those paper doors that slide open. Just recently picked that one up.  
  
(3) I don't know if I already had that one, it means thank you. (4) Sensei means teacher. Torashi's joking because of what was going on in the previous chapter. 


	6. Some Hard Training

Disclaimer: (Damn things ruining my documents.) Okie dokie. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any other quote things I may put in there. The most pay I get are reviews. So...yeah. (Jin: Did she mention she's got most of the ones out on dvd? And the movie, and the newer dvd's like Yoko Kurama and the next one, Sword and Dragon?) (Grabs at muse. Baka Yarro. ((Didn't know you could learn dumb ass in one of these, now did ya?)) ) (Muse flies. "And did you know she's got more coming.) (I condemn you to be quiet. They don't need to know all that rubbish.) (Muse tries talking, but can't.) Serves you right...  
  
Hee.... Ah well......Chibi Mo? You still helping me? Helllloooooo?!  
  
Some Hard Training  
  
Neyoko's face made contact with the ground once again. She clenched her fist, grabbing dirt.  
  
"Get up Neyoko-san. You're doing better than when we first started." Kurama stood a few feet away from her, the rose whip trailed behind him like a faithful dog.  
  
"I've tried. I can't get them. I'm a failure." She said angrily as she sat up. She was unwilling to stand just yet.  
  
"I really think you almost had it last time. Concentrate harder. Things like this take time."  
  
"You aren't trying to kill me, right?" Neyoko cautiously (or precariously. Chibi Mo help!) stood up.  
  
"I promised. I don't go back on promises."  
  
"I think that's the problem. Whatever. I'll try again." She tried concentrating. She then tried something extremely dangerous during a fight; she closed her eyes. She trusted Kurama not to kill.  
  
Nothing happened. Neyoko opened an eye. Three rei-tsume greeted her.  
  
Overexcited, she bolted towards Kurama, a challenge to a true fight.  
  
She adapted her newfound skills without knowing. Then she realized what she was doing. She was in mid-punch and Kurama moved, allowing Neyoko's face to make contact once again with the ground.  
  
"Better. You have a unique fighting style. Very effective," Kurama complimented.  
  
"Uh... arigatou." She replied. That was the only thing she could politely muster.   
  
Neyoko arrived at the school at the time Kurama had suggested. Yusuke would be at the top; ditching P. E. He'd probably help her in her quest to improve her fighting.  
  
She made sure no one was in the halls before slinking through the door and down the hall. Quickly, quietly she made her way to the roof. She met no one, just as she had hoped.  
  
As she opened the door, someone said, "Hey, Kayko, if you're gonna try getting me into P. E. class it's not goin to work."  
  
"Yusuke, I need you to help me. I'm working on my training a little bit and was wondering it you'd fight me."  
  
"I thought you were Kayko. But I guess she'd be late."  
  
"Don't change the subject. I want a fight," Neyoko said tonelessly, eyes narrowing.  
  
"You're a wimp. You didn't even land a hit on that yokai."  
  
"I've gotten better. Do you want proof? Kurama-kun has been helping me."  
  
"Nice outfit. You'd fit in perfectly in America." Neyoko was wearing her white shirt and the capris.  
  
"Don't change the damn subject!"  
  
"I don't fight unless I feel I have to. Usually I rely on the other person to start something and then kick their ass."  
  
Well then, she thought, I'll start something. She ran up and punched Yusuke's cheek.  
  
Yusuke fell over, not so much as her strength, more like surprise. "What the...there was some rei in there. How'd you learn to use it that quickly?"  
  
"I told you already. Kurama's been helping me, just like you told him to."  
  
Yusuke stood up, rubbing his cheek. "Fine, I'll fight you. Just a regular rei fistfight, tough. Happy now?"  
  
Neyoko nodded. "Oh, all right. No tricks. Just a fistfight."  
  
Yusuke charged. He's fast, Neyoko realized. They exchanged and dodged each other's blows for about fifteen minutes. Yusuke wasn't hitting as hard as he could. Neyoko could easily tell. Was it because she was a girl, she was new...or possibly he was so strong that he could knock her flat with one blow? Maybe all of them.  
  
The bell rang and they stopped immediately. Yusuke was acting normal, leaving Neyoko alone in bending over, trying to catch her breath.  
  
Yusuke walked over to the door. He flipped a hand over his shoulder in farewell, saying, "Thanks for that. But I'll be late for class. Not that I care that much..."  
  
Neyoko heard Yusuke leave. She waited for her breathing to settle. Neyoko decided to try regaining her catlike habits at the park. She jumped lightly into the nearest tree. Neyoko climbed down easily, until the bottom. Misjudging a step she fell, landing ![1]" she hissed.  
  
Yes, she decided, she would go to the park. Kurama's house was too quiet at this time of day. On top of it all, she had nowhere else to go. She didn't want to fight Kuwabara today, and defiantly not Hiei, if she could even find him. There was something odd about the squirt, other than the fact he was a yokai.  
  
She walked to the park and laid down under a tree, the most promising spot for a catnap. She closed her eyes. There was a yokai coming her way at an incredible speed.  
  
"It's Hiei!" Neyoko said, sitting up quickly, surprised she was able to distinguish the fact so fast.  
  
She laid back down to wait for him to come.  
  
Hiei appeared in the tree Neyoko was laying under, the jumped down.  
  
Lazily Neyoko asked, "What do ya want Hiei?"  
  
"Kurama said you actually managed to learn something. So it's true, a old cat can learn new tricks."  
  
"So what. The term is dog. Old dogs can learn new tricks. You want to find out for yourself?" she asked, hoping he would reject.  
  
"I don't think it would be a good idea. I don't believe in going easy, no matter what. I don't feel like killing anyone today."  
  
Neyoko mentally sighed. "How'd you know I was here?"  
  
Hiei glared at her. "I can see."  
  
"Wha?" Neyoko's confusion showed.  
  
Hiei interrupted. "Koenma wants to stop the yokai from coming over peacefully. He's planning to have a tournament to settle it. Team Uramashi against five teams of yokai. If we win, the hole the yokai made will be closed and they will stop coming here. If we lose, we're all dead and the yokai can come over when ever they want. No pressure."  
  
"And what do I have to do with all this crap?"  
  
"Both Kurama and Yusuke said that you would make a good fifth member. You might. I don't know."  
  
Hiei disappeared with that. No, Neyoko corrected herself, he jumped, her eyes were a tad to slow to keep up with it.  
  
"Dammit all." She said as she fell into a catnap.  
  
"Hey, Neyoko! Is that all you can do? Sleep and fight?" someone yelled nearby.  
  
Neyoko opened one eye then the other after figuring out who it was; the whole group. She sat up, getting penalized when she saw spots while her head spun.[2] She waited a second before looking up.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.  
  
"Hiei said he told you. We're supposed to do more dirty work for Koenma," Yusuke replied. It appeared he liked Koenma about as much as Neyoko did. "And we decided your coming with as a fifth player."  
  
"I thought I got to choose," Neyoko complained.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara rolled their eyes. Hiei looked down. Kurama smiled lightly.  
  
"I'll do it any way. I was just wondering. Besides, it's not like I have anything else to do. When do we have to be ready?"  
  
Everybody turned to look at Hiei. "Ten days from today," he answered.  
  
"Ten days isn't enough time to do anything."  
  
"Koenma wants this matter settled as quick as possible. Either that or he forgot to tell us until today," Kurama explained, as cool as ever."  
  
"All right, all right. I got it. Kurama-kun, we should go now. Your okasan will start worrying."  
  
The two of them walked away, leaving the group, and, soon, the park behind.  
  
"You're not that comfortable around the group, are you, Neyoko-san?" Kurama asked.  
  
"Not really. I'm used to everyone pretty much ignoring me or treating me like the boys at my place. But here...I think people see me as a girl." She wasn't sure if Kurama did, he surly did at first. Did she care? "I need a little help. I experiment with poisons and was wondering if you could help me make one. I mean, you're a plant master aren't you?"  
  
"I don't know, Neyoko-san. It seems a bit dangerous to me."  
  
"You were a thief, and you say what I'm doing –which I guess is something I get from being a cat- is dangerous? Two lives full of danger and I want a little poison. You say it's dangerous. I've been doing things like that for five years and I'm standing right here."  
  
"All right. You persuaded me. Please stop yelling. People are starting to stare," Kurama was still keeping his cool, even under Neyoko's hot temper.  
  
Neyoko got even more pissed off because of that. She muttered under her breath, "What a baka! I yell and his reply is people are staring at us. I could really care less. He is really like a fox, calm and mischievous."  
  
Kurama looked back at her. "Did you say something?"  
  
Neyoko put on a innocent look, replying, "not a thing."  
  
Changing the subject Neyoko asked, "Why do you care so mush about a fake okasan? I'd never act like that towards mine."  
  
Kurama was silent a moment, deciding how to answer. Finally, "Maybe because your okasan can take care of herself. After all, she did teach you everything you know, right? My okasan, she didn't do anything, and she was punished with a child thinking she was inferior. I don't any more, but that was Yoko thinking. But she risked herself to save me when I was in kindergarten."  
  
"Never mind. You're so confused, the conversation isn't worth having."  
  
"I guess you're right."  
  
"I said, leave it be!"  
  
Thankfully, Kurama did just that. Even when the two got to his house, he went strait to his room.  
  
For a while, the cat was confused. She decided to go apologize to him for being rude. As she walked to his room, his okasan asked her to bring a plate of onigiri[3] for a snack.  
  
Neyoko ate one quickly. She knocked on the Shoji before sliding it open with her foot. "Kurama-kun, I brought you a snack. How are you doing with your homework."  
  
"Pretty good. Do you want to check it for me?"  
  
Typical schoolboy. All it ever was was could you help me, Neyoko thought. Instead, she said, "I would, but I'm kinda a flunk."  
  
"A bit like Yusuke?"  
  
"No! School is a little pointless to me. I don't have to know math 'cept for counting, and I already know that. Everything else doesn't make any sense to know."  
  
"Then why did you ask me how my homework was going?"  
  
"Cuz it's important to you. I thought it'd be my way of apologizing for my temper. I know you're smarter than me."  
  
A glint rose in his eyes. "But you know why. I've lived longer as Yoko. You tend to learn things when you're around 300 years old." He bushed a hand against her cheek.  
  
"What was that for?!"  
  
Smiling, Kurama replied, "You had a bit of onigire on your face."  
  
"Well, excuse me!" Neyoko turned around and left, heading for her makeshift bed. She lay down, letting a nap ease her temper.  
  
Neyoko woke in time to have dinner in Kurama's room. His okasan was pretty much having a date with a guy[4]. Neyoko let them have the 'family time' to themselves.  
  
After she was done, she slipped out the back into the yard. A while later, Kurama joined her.  
  
"Neyoko-san, is there something wrong? You seem awfully reclusive today."  
  
Neyoko turned to look at him, twisting her back around. Kurama sat down next to her and Neyoko resumed her position.  
  
"A little bit, I guess. I think I may just be homesick or something." She didn't want Kurama to try taking a bit of the weight she was feeling at the approaching tournament.  
  
"That's not the only thing," Kurama pressed.  
  
"Don't you need to spend time with that guy and his son?"  
  
"They left a while ago. You can tell me, ((What's the translation to little sister? Chibi Mo. Help. Wouldn't it be cute if Kurama called Neyoko little sister right here???))  
  
"Do you want to go to that tournament? All it seems like to me is pointless slaughter."  
  
Kurama laughed. "I think you've spent way to much time around Hiei. That's exactly what he thought the dark tournament was. But now that you mention it, it wont be as challenging as the dark tournament..." He trailed off, not wanting to think about what happened.  
  
It was that one person's fault on the last team they fought. Neyoko was curious about what could have happened that he wouldn't talk about? She decided not to ask.  
  
Changing the subject, Neyoko asked, "Would Kuwabara be a challenging opponent?"  
  
As if reading her mind, Kurama answered, "He won't fight you Neyoko. First of all, you're an alli, and second of all, you're... you. It goes against his honor code."  
  
Shame looking at girls isn't, Neyoko thought. "Ten days, it's not a lot of time. I don't think I can test it. I need something I know I can fight back if I screw up. I guess I'll refrain from using it for a while."  
  
"Refrain. A good word for a flunk. I'll help you tomorrow. After school."  
  
Neyoko looked at him. She found herself smiling as she looked back out to the darkness.  
  
Kurama got up, leaving Neyoko alone. Neyoko was to restless to sleep that night. Her smile widened, she was getting back her catness. On top of it all, sitting was getting annoying. So she got up, deciding to take her own tour of the city.  
  
First she went to the park. Then, Neyoko discovered Yusuke's house. She noted the distance from his house to Kuwabara's. She wondered if Hiei had a house, or did he live in a tree or something.  
  
She sensed Hiei's rei coming towards her. She guessed he was nocturnal as well.  
  
"Speak of the Devil, I was just thinking about you Hiei," she greeted as he came to her.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
"Do you have any family?"  
  
Hiei stared at her, a cold, icy stare (kinda hard for a fire demon like Hiei to give a cold stare? Sorry, one of those irresistible bad jokes...) and for a while Neyoko thought he wasn't going to answer.  
  
Hiei turned, walking a few steps away from Neyoko. "Why not. It's not like you can tell her. I have a sister in the demon realm. Her name is Yukina. Kuwabara has a bit of a liking for her."  
  
Without waiting for an answer, or response, he disappeared. Neyoko watched after him, shocked he actually told her anything.  
  
After that, she went back to Kurama's house. Cat-like Neyoko climbed onto the roof. She lay on her back, hands behind her head [5]. She connected the stars into odd shapes until the sunlight blurred them away. Neyoko slipped inside silently.  
  
Definitions:  
  
[1] Damn. I watch Yu Yu Uncut in Jap. Don't think I'd pick it up? [2] You know the feeling when you stand up after class sometimes...stuff like that. Horrible really.... [3] It's a rice cake! I picked it up from an anime called Fruits Basket. It's a wonderful short anime, very cute and great plot...... [4] If you didn't know cuz you don't explore the internet as much as I do, Kurama's human mother ends up getting married around the ending of the dark tournament...Just a little side note case you were interested. And the guy has a son too. Guess what his son's name is. Shuichi. ( Ironic, neh? [5] Another thing from Fruits Basket. Kyo's a cat...long story...with a bad attitude. After a good day full of yelling at everyone, you usually find him laying on the roof like that....  
  
Author's endnote: This is done due to my teacher's lack of homework. Thanks to them I have been able to type it all out. Next chapter will be along as soon as my fingers are better, or I can actually log on to the site. Sorry if I got annoying and know-it-allsish towards the end, I get inspired by things and I want to footnote them. Thanks for the few reviews I have. And special thanks to Chibi Mo. She helped me with the Japanese words... 


	7. A Real Test

Chapter 7: A Real Test  
  
Kuwabara Kazuma was walking to school with his friends, when a beautiful girl walked up. She looked really uncomfortable.  
  
"Um. May I please speak to you Kuwabara?" she asked. As an added thought she added, "Privately," with a menacing glance at the three men Kuwabara was with.  
  
"Uh sure. Guys you go on ahead, ok?"  
  
"All right Kuwabara. You go!" one of his friends said.  
  
The two walked over to stand under a tree.  
  
"Torashi, what the hell is this all about? Did you finally decide you liked me?"  
  
"Dream on. I want you to fight me. Call it training. You need to know how a yokai fights in order to fight a yokai. And you have fought yokai. So I'll learn to expect the unexpected."  
  
"I can't do that."  
  
"Why the hell not?"  
  
"Because...because you're a girl! It goes against my code of honor."  
  
"I'll fight back. You've experienced a small amount of my wrath. I'm not afraid."  
  
"It goes against my code to hit girls."  
  
Torashi's pupils narrowed. "Stop calling me a girl. I'm a fighter, just like you, just like Yusuke, and everyone else!"  
  
"That doesn't change the fact that you're a girl."  
  
Torashi punched Kuwabara. "I said, knock it off! I'll feel bad if I beat the shit out of you. Besides, you owe me."  
  
Back with the guys Kuwabara was hanging out with, they were having their own conversation. The guys were far enough away that they were unable to hear what was being said, but it wasn't going to good for Kuwabara.  
  
"Man, Kuwabara isn't doing to hot. What could he of said that upset her so much as to punch him?"  
  
"Maybe he said he'd go out with her. It wasn't what she wanted?"  
  
"I was serious! I bet he said he was seeing someone. You know that dreamy look he has during class... I think he's got some invisible girl friend..."  
  
"How the hell do I owe you?" Kuwabara asked, confused.  
  
"You looked at me. When I was nude!"  
  
"You could have told me..."  
  
"I was a neko! When I am a neko, I am exactly like a neko. I can't talk either. Baka yarrou."  
  
Torashi took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She was trying not to resort to her "Plan C" as off yet. Time for "Plan B". The plan she all ready doubted would work.  
  
"I have control of my rei." As she said it, three little 'tsume' glowed around her knuckles. "See. Know, knowing you don't have that advantage over me, will you fight?"  
  
"No, Torashi. Get over it. I wont fight you!"  
  
Great. Ok then. Time for "Plan C"! And it was his fault. Torashi turned, looking up at the sky, a thoughtful expression of her face. "Oh, well. I don't know what's wrong with that baka. I think it may be that he is afraid of being beaten by a girl. I'll just tell Yukina that he looked at this girl..."  
  
Torashi turned, a hand resting thoughtfully at her chin. She loved that spaceless look on his face, a perfect Hall of Stupid Looks.  
  
"All of that because of me and my honor code?"  
  
"Possibly. Unless you want little old me to die in the Tournament from lack of preparation. It's all in the prospective."  
  
"You really are threatening my happiness with Yukina-san! I almost killed Toguro Ani for that."  
  
Without warning, Kuwabara lunged forward. He toppled into Torashi and, since it surprised her, she fell down as well. She shook her head, knocking loose dirt and leaves out of her vibrant red hair. "Stupid, clumsy oaf," she muttered.  
  
What started as a verbal fight, turned into a fist fight, ended as a rei fight. Blows were traded, though none were vital.  
  
A young girl clung to the shadows. Her body was covered with fresh scratches and there was a fresh cut near her left eye, still dripping with blood.  
  
She got to the house she was staying at. She attempted to brush away the blood from her eye, but only succeeded at smearing it across her cheek.  
  
He should be here by now. I napped long enough after the fight, but it didn't matter. I'm still exhausted! she thought wearily.  
  
She knocked on the door, letting the residence know she was there, before letting herself in.  
  
Kurama walked out of his room when he heard the knock. She had walked in and stood for a moment. He dashed forward as the girl collapsed, catching her as she fell. He picked her up, listening carefully for any acknowledgement of it. There was nothing. Relieved, Kurama quietly took the girl outside.  
  
He set her down outside next to the wall so she could lean against it. Kurama remained standing.  
  
"What happened, Torashi-san? Did you get attacked by a yokai?" he asked, concern filling his voice.  
  
She smiled half-heartedly, amused at what she had done. She looked as if she had been drinking, but she hadn't. "I pissed Kuwabara off."  
  
"You pissed him off? Why would you do something like that?"  
  
"His fault. He wouldn't fight me on his own, so I dragged the name Yukina into the conversation and wham! Got what I wanted, though."  
  
"What about Yukina? You didn't threaten her, did you? That would be suicidal against Kuwabara-kun."  
  
"I told him I'd tell 'er something. You might want to watch what you say 'bout things like that."  
  
"I can't believe you are still joking," Kurama said, shaking his head. Changing the subject, he said, "I've got something that will heal those cuts."  
  
He disappeared beyond Torashi's sight for a while, returning with a small glass jar.  
  
"What's that?" Torashi asked.  
  
"It's a healing salve that I made. It's made of morning glory. It's a very beautiful flower."  
  
Kurama bent down and smoothed a bit of the concoction on the uppermost of the cuts on her left arm. Torashi jumped.  
  
"Are you all right, Torashi-san?"  
  
"That stuff stings!"  
  
"Most things that help do, Torashi-san." He rubbed a bit more on another cut.  
  
"You just like to torture me, don't you?" Torashi murmured sarcastically.  
  
"How did you find out about Yukina, any way? She shouldn't be here around this time of the year."  
  
"Hiei...told...me." Torashi said. She was falling asleep. She closed her eyes. She was so tired; she could sleep through a yokai raid. Unknowingly, she drifted to a place of half sleep.  
  
"You're remarkable, Torashi-san, if Hiei told you his secret," Kurama whispered.  
  
The area by her left eye stung suddenly. Without thinking, Torashi lashed out with her hand before her eyes had opened. Her hand came in contact with skin, brushing it away.  
  
"Torashi-san, I need to put thins on or else it wont heal quickly," Kurama sounded hurt, even though Torashi didn't have that much strength left.  
  
"I...I'm sorry, Kurama-kun. I...you just startled me. I don't want a cut this close to my eye to be touched with that stuff. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's all right. I've used the salve on the rest of your cuts. You should be fine by the tournament."  
  
"Arrigatou," she said, standing up. She walked inside, swaying from weariness. Torashi fell into a dreamless sleep as soon as she lay down.  
  
The rest of the days till they would leave ticked by. Torashi practiced with either Yusuke or Kuwabara. She wasn't injured after the first fight she had with Kuwabara, but the cut by her eye would bleed. She even fought with Kurama on the weekend. At night he helped her with her poison. That was how Torashi passed the remaining days in Tokyo.  
  
Authors note: Hope you had a good time reading this. Reveiws'll make me happy and make me want to type more. Later! 


	8. Time Came Too Soon

Chapter 8: Time Came Too Soon  
  
The young man and the girl who was residing at the Minamino residence left early the mourning of the tournament. It was a bit to easy, in Neyoko's mind, because they just left, not a word to 'Shuichi's' okasan. He must have disappeared a lot, especially for the (Dark Tournament). Yusuke had it easy; his okasan was usually to drunk to care what happened to him. Kuwabara was able to explain everything to his sister, and she didn't mind. Hiei was alone as far as close relatives went.  
  
Neyoko was able to brood on the past a bit on the bus the Urameshi team took to get to the forest. People continuously stared at them. Occasionally, Neyoko would glare back. Those people had no reason to stare. Of course they were traveling with Hiei...  
  
There was a time when glaring at the ordinary humans grew tiresome. Neyoko used that time to think back on the events of last night.  
  
She had accidentally slipped, calling Kurama by his real name, in front of his okasan. They attempted a cover up story; Kurama was his nickname at school. Ms. Shiori still looked suspicious, but she let the matter drop.  
  
After Ms. Shiori had gone to bed, Neyoko brought out a bottle of (1)sake. She smiled; telling Kurama it was a 'good luck on the fights' party. It took a while to persuade Kurama to drink any, but he did.  
  
Soon, the two were having a great time. Kurama and Neyoko were almost done with the bottle when Kurama leaned forward. The two locked eyes for a moment. Then Kurama leaned forward and kissed Neyoko. She had leaned back a little, her eyes wide with shock.  
  
When he stopped, she sat a few moments, blinking. Slowly, she got up walking to the bathroom. Water ran for a few seconds, then a splash. A neko walked out of the room, dragging clothes behind it. The tabby walked over to the bed and lay down, glaring at Kurama.  
  
Kurama was uncomfortable under the harsh glare. So he got up, threw away the bottle, and went to his room.  
  
Neyoko decided she was still a bit mad at the way Kurama had acted. He shouldn't have taken advantage over the fact that they had been drinking. Then again, she didn't care. It was the first time a guy had ever kissed her. Neyoko took a nap, then, letting everything drift away.  
  
She fell over when the bus stopped. Yusuke, Hiei Kuwabara and Kurama were waiting for her to stand up. Neyoko stood up, embarrassed. She mumbled a quick apology when she caught up to the group.  
  
The few people remaining on the bus were glad the strange people had left, although some thought it was odd that they had left together. The people didn't even bother to show how relieved they were.  
  
The team walked into the forest. There wasn't much of a path, so they tried just walking through the trees.  
  
"Are you guys sure we have to walk through a forest? I mean, shouldn't there be a path or something?" Neyoko asked.  
  
"What's a matter? You having trouble back there? Just think of it as a bit or training," Yusuke replied.  
  
Neyoko had realized there were several times when Yusuke had gotten mad at their surrounding, but didn't mention it.  
  
Even though the forest seamed thick, it only took a matter of minutes to reach their destination.  
  
It was a marvelous site for Neyoko. She had grown up fighting and had enjoyed seeing the battle domes, but now she was going to partake in one of her own. Neyoko couldn't wait to go inside.  
  
But she was disappointed, because the team went to a series of smaller, regular buildings close by.  
  
"What are we supposed to do anyway? I mean, there's gotta be rules or something. No one's told me anything so far," Neyoko asked, annoyed for some reason.  
  
"The five of us are going to fight teams of demons. The rules are almost like the ones we used in the Dark Tournament. The ref. will go over them in more detail tomorrow," Hiei obviously forgot Neyoko wasn't with them in the Dark Tournament, or just enjoyed picking n her for that reason.  
  
"Anything goes?" Neyoko asked.  
  
"Pretty much. Oh, yeah. I heard they fixed the ring-out problem," Yusuke added, remembering the unfair ruling on his third match. The committee had said both he and Jin the Wind Master were disqualified. (2)  
  
The team got to their designated building without any trouble. Neyoko wondered why, considering the encampment was probably crawling with demons.  
  
Before going in, Kurama finally spoke up. "Yusuke-kun, do you think it would be all right if I took Neyoko-san out the woods for a bit of last minute training?"  
  
"I don't care what you do with her, so long as we win. I'll see if you two can be shown to your room when you get back."  
  
Hiei, Kuwabara and Yusuke walked inside the building, where, in turn, they were led to their own individual rooms. Kurama led Neyoko to the side of the hotel. As they walked, Neyoko realized Kurama had something in each of his hands. His left hand was loosely closed around something, while his right fiddled with an object Neyoko was unable to discern. The two stopped, Kurama walked a few steps away from the Chinese girl. Although she was curious, Neyoko refused t talk to Kurama until he apologized. So Neyoko looked off into the forest.  
  
Kurama hesitated. Why was it so hard to tell Neyoko now? he wondered.  
  
"Neyoko-san?" Kurama said lightly, trying to get her attention. Realizing that it wouldn't work, he demanded she pay attention with his tone. "Neyoko!"  
  
Neyoko looked up, startled Kurama had dropped formalities. She locked eyes and found she was unable to look away.  
  
Knowing that he had gained Neyoko's attention, Kurama continued, calm again. "Neyoko-san, what I did yesterday was wrong. I do not know what is wrong with me. But I am sorry. I am truly sorry."  
  
As he spoke he stepped toward Neyoko, grasping her hands. When he moved away, Neyoko had a small bracelet clasped in her hands. The bracelet was made with a twine-like string and supported a small oval green bead.  
  
"Thank you. I...I wish I could give you something, too. But I'm broke." Neyoko slid the bracelet on to her right wrist. She remembered that Kurama had to things in his hands. If one was the bracelet, then what was the other thing? "What do you have in your hand? Don't say it was nothing; you were playing with it as we walked."  
  
Kurama blushed, slightly embarrassed. "You have a thieves' eyes, Neyoko- san. It's a good luck charm for me. It belonged to a friend of mine."  
  
He held it out for Neyoko to see. It was a gold chain with a pendant on it. On the pendant was a blood-red gem. (3)  
  
An idea hit Neyoko. She grabbed the pendant and turned, preventing Kurama from reclaiming it. "I've got it, Kurama-kun. I'm going to try putting a bit of my rei in the pendant. I'm still alive, so maybe I'm a lucky cat."  
  
"Do you know what you are trying to do? I don't want it to break."  
  
"Nope," Neyoko replied. She closed her sapphire eyes so she could concentrate. She stood with the pendant dangling from her fingers. Neyoko concentrated on the flow of her rei, and selected a small strand of it. She wound the strand down the chain into the pendant. It glowed for a moment, and then it looked like an ordinary charm.  
  
Neyoko turned, smiling. Sun caught her eyes, making them sparkle. Neyoko handed the pendant back to Kurama.  
  
"Promise me something, Kurama-kun. Promise me that we will both leave this contest alive. And that we'll help each other, if necessary. Promise?"  
  
Neyoko's smile made Kurama smile as well. "Yes, Neyoko-san. I promise you that we will both see the end of this tournament."  
  
Neyoko's smile widened. She turned, skipping back to the building. Sunlight glinted green of the bracelet.  
  
Kurama shook his head. Was she really aware of rei? Neyoko obviously didn't realize that he had done the same as thing that had for her. He had put a bit of his rei into her bracelet.  
  
Neyoko found her room without any problem. When she went in, and lay on the ground. Neyoko pulled the sheets off the bed around her. She never really did enjoy sleeping in beds.  
  
She cried. Neyoko was too confused; she felt happy, and sad. She missed her foster-mom; she didn't know what was wrong with her.  
  
Neyoko didn't want one of the guys to come in and see her because she was acting like a true girl. If the team saw her attitude, then they might kick her out. Now that she was there, it be awful if she had to leave.  
  
Neyoko didn't realize it, but she cried herself to sleep.  
  
Neyoko woke to a pounding on her door. The fact that she wasn't used to the American style doors and that she was still half asleep, Neyoko tried sliding the door open before finally finding the knob.  
  
Yusuke stood in the doorframe. "Your not very intelligent, are you. We're leaving soon and you're still half asleep. Hurry up."  
  
"Good morning to you too," Neyoko replied, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "You could have woken me up sooner if you're that eager to go. I need food. Wait a while." Neyoko finished with a yawn.  
  
"We're leaving in fifteen minutes. If you're not ready, you're late, end of story." Yusuke walked down the hall, and turned the corner. A door slammed.  
  
Neyoko shook her head, and then went in search for a bite to eat.  
  
Neyoko was surprised to find that she was actually on time for once. She wore her cloak with the hood up. She didn't want the yokai to go easy on her because of her looks.  
  
When the Urameshi team got to the main building, they found the arena to be levitating above the ground. A closer look suggested there was a strong rei holding up the arena. Around them, there were four giant screens that looked a lot like television screens. The audience seats reached the top of the stadium.  
  
For the time being, the whole team climbed to the top, using a rope ladder. There were five teams already up on the levitating plat form. There was also a harmless looking female yokai standing in the center of it. She had fox ears and strange eyes. As the yokai audience calmed down, the announcer raised a mike.  
  
"Excuse me. We are about to get started here. I'd like you all to quiet down a bit." She paused, waiting for the audience to be quiet. "OK. My name's Koto. Some of you may know me from my previous jobs, including my announcing at the most recent Dark Tournament.  
  
"We are here to decide the ruling of the Ningenkai in the best way possible. Weather the humans are allowed to keep to themselves or yokai are enabled to traverse freely from the two worlds rest with these six teams. As I announce their names, please welcome them."  
  
Neyoko paid the teams no mind as Koto introduced them. Koto would say the name; let the audience cheer a while, then order for silence.  
  
"The yokai teams are representing the Makai. They will be going up against the winners of last year's Dark Tournament. Please welcome, as politely as possible, the human team of Team Urameshi. (4) The team consists of Contestant Kuwabara, Contestant Hiei, the foxy Contestant Kurama, as their fifth member, Contestant Neyoko, and the team leader, Contestant Urameshi. Please welcome them with the best of your abilities."  
  
That was saying something. The best things that were said were " kill the humans" and stuff. It was all a horrible jumble of noise.  
  
Neyoko was about to yell back, her temper reaching the breaking point. Kurama placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her down a bit.  
  
Briefly, Koto explained the rules. There would be five fights spanning over the next five days, Team Urameshi fighting the five yokai teams on one-on-one fights. Losing meant almost certain death. If a ring out resulted, game over for that player. This was caused by the height of the ring. If someone were to fall, death was guaranteed. Anything was possible.  
  
"The first match will start soon. Team Urameshi and team (Amy, can you come with a name. I too lazy...) The rest of the teams are free to watch from the sideline."  
  
And that was how the first fight began. Nothing really happened that was memorable. Neyoko decided she didn't want to fall. A yokai did and was splattered to smithereens.  
  
The Urameshi team went back to the hotel, victorious, dripping in the blood of yokai.  
  
Definitions: It's a Japanese drink. It means booze, but it's rice wine. It comes in bottles and I think they drink it out of dishes. They do on Rurouni Kenshin, anyway...Drinking laws in Japan are 18 and older, but you get it in vending machines anywhere, so it's kinda pointless. Sorry. I just had to mention Jin. F.Y.I.: In the third match of the dark tournament, Hiei and the "Masked Fighter" were stuck in a force field, and Kuwabara was injured from the fight with Dr. Ichigaki. Kurama fought the first two, lost his third fight ( and Yusuke took over. He killed the guy and fought Jin. Jin should have had a full loss, but the committee said that Yusuke had been out of the rink for more than 10 counts. They win anyway, though. Sorry for the interruption, I just had to add kawaii Jin. (Muse Jin: Thanks.) If you haven't seen the Yu Yu Hakusho movie Poltergeist Report: Bonds of Fire you wouldn't get it. For those of you who haven't seen it, I'll fill you in. You all should at least know that Yoko Kurama was a professional thief. Well in the movie, he had a friend and partner named Kuroune. He always carried the 'pendant' as I described above. On a thieving mission, Kuroune dropped the pendant and died trying to get it back. Later in the movie, a nether world demon god takes that part of Kurama's past, alters it to a negative version, and practically drives him crazy with it. Kurama discovers the trick when the demon throws the pendant and is assured when the demon attacks from behind, something Kuroune never would have done. When Kurama tells the demon his mistake, he holds up the pendant. If you haven't seen the movie, I'd highly recommend it. But, anyway, I think Kurama keeps the pendant to remind him of Kuroune. OK. Just a little FYI: This is cuz it made me feel really proud of myself. This is the first story that I have written so much on. First I write everything down on paper, and then I type. It's always better when I type. But, any ways...This is the first story I have written and the written page number is 100!!!!!!!!!! Tears Stream down overly proud face in rivers I'm sooooo proud of myself.  
  
Author's note: I got the idea for the bracelet from one that my friend made for me. It's got the names of my three favorite bishies separated by black beads. Of course you should know Kurama's name is on it. The other two are Jin (off Yu Yu, not Dragon ball or anything) and Kenshin. Thanks go to her, and all the people who reviewed. 


	9. True Fights

Chapter 9: True Fights  
  
The team stayed up half of the night celebrating the small victory. The team went up to their rooms around midnight.  
  
The young Chinese girl wasn't ready to sleep that night. She kept watch at the window although she didn't expect anything to happen. Torashi lay on the windowsill with her arms crossed and her head lying across them. After a while, she thought she saw something move, but she was too relaxed to care.  
  
She thought that if all of the fights went the same way as the one that day, then everything would be simple. But, she doubted, as she slipped off to sleep, that things would be as simple.  
  
Torashi opened her eyes as a bird flew past her window. She was sore from sleeping at the window. Torashi looked up into the sun. That made her stand up rubbing her eyes. She yawned, stretching, and wondering why it was so quiet.  
  
Realization set in as she started her training stretches to wake herself up.  
  
"Oh, shit! I'm gonna miss out on the match!"  
  
She ran out of the room barely grabbing her key and locking the door, before she was running as fast she could. Torashi wasn't that good of a long-distance runner since she never cared for running from fights.  
  
Torashi arrived at the stadium, barely out of breath. Apparently, her rei was helping her with running. There was a long line of yokai waiting to get in. They were not going to be happy. She was in a bad mood, being late and all. As she walked up to the front of the line, she started feeling more like herself.  
  
Torashi ignored all of the yokai protesting. She almost thought she was home free when she got all the way to the entrance without being stopped, but that didn't last. A heavy hand clamped onto her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.  
  
"You can't go in without a ticket," the guard yokai said in a gruff voice.  
  
"Remove your hand. I'm a fighter for the human team," Torashi replied in a venomous tone of voice.  
  
"No way! A hot little chick like you? Don't even look like you could hurt a fly! Besides you got no proof."  
  
Torashi turned, a murderous gleam in her eyes. "Remove your hand, now, or else I will remove it permanently for you."  
  
The guy jumped back, removing his hand, stuttering, "I...I'm sorry. Please...go right on ahead. And let's say we forget about any of this, ok?"  
  
"Thanks, I was beginning to think I would be even later." Torashi turned away, flipping a hand over her shoulder in a careless 'see ya later' gesture.  
  
When Torashi approached the bottom area of the rink, she realized that most of the audience watched the fight on the rink. But there were several rows towards the bottom. Probably for the occasional chance one of the fighters would fall like the last fight. Those yokai watched the fight above on the screens.  
  
When she got to the bottom, she sat down next to the team.  
  
"What took you? You were almost disqualified baka," Yusuke greeted.  
  
"Someone didn't fricken wake me up. That and the guard gave me trouble. Hiei's up?"  
  
The sound of unanimous 'boo's" came from the audience.  
  
"I think Hiei just won. It only took him five minutes. He must not be having a good day either," Kurama replied.  
  
"Torashi, you wanna go next? Vent off a little anger," Yusuke asked hopefully.  
  
"Why not? Should be good, ne?" she asked, standing up and walking over to the ladder.  
  
Hiei climbed down, jumping off at the end. As he walked past Torashi muttered, "Show-off." As Torashi climbed, she felt someone's glare at her back. She climbed all the way to the top enduring it.  
  
The announcer girl announced, "The next fight will be Urameshi team's Torashi, against an opponent by the name of Jason. (Truth be told, I was at a sleepover and my friends were talking about Jason to freak us all out. So, I don't know, I just decided to use the name. No connections.) Begin when ready."  
  
"You're quite pretty. I'm almost grieved to fight such a sexy thing. Shame you aren't a yokai or I'd ask for a date," Jason coaxed.  
  
Shouts from the audience showed many of the yokai thought the same.  
  
Oh, crap! I forgot the cloak, so now the world knows...Oh, well... Torashi thought. "Shut up! You are so pathetic! First it's all complaints that the fricken humans are winning now this! Just shut up!" Torashi shouted at the audience.  
  
"Oh, common. Give me a date, I let you live. Don't act like you'll fight." Jason continued.  
  
"You wish, pig. I just happen to be in a bad mood. You know what I do when I'm in a bad mood? I like to kick ass. Pay!" Torashi charged at the yokai.  
  
Jason jumped, and that was how they fought. Jumping around, dodging here, attacking there, but Torashi grew agitated. This Jason wasn't trying hard at all, just because she was a female.  
  
Die, sexist pig, Torashi thought as she sliced through the yokai with her Rei Tsume. Torashi licked blood of her claws. "The fight's over. If you still want a date, talk to me in Hell." She tuned and climbed down the rope ladder as the announcer declared her the winner.  
  
The rest of the Urameshi team backed up as Torashi returned. "What the hell? I won't bite.... that is unless you wantta say the same damned things as those yokai. Just don't get it wrong, I fight my own battles." She said the last thing mainly to assure herself.  
  
Yusuke went next, then Kuwabara and lastly Kurama. Yusuke and Kurama won easily, and Kuwabara won in a come-from-behind win. (Ok, these are brief cuz I don't wantta screw up images of the guys. They all grow and change, so I don't know where it'd be... Besides, it's easier for me!)  
  
The team went back to the hotel after that. Torashi stayed outside, practicing in the forest. She wore out her anger, then, after a while, herself. It was around midday so she went inside, got a cup of instant noodles, filled it with hot water (because this isn't like Cowboy Bebop.) and went to her room to eat. Torashi at on the sheetless bed with her back to the door, eating slowly.  
  
Torashi didn't fear death, she decided. She just didn't want to die again. But what she couldn't figure out was why. She shrugged. She just didn't want to. She had gotten attached to this life, hanging with the guys and stuff. Curse all of those yokai and their perverted fantasies. No way in hell that they'd be able to win. The Urameshi team was too powerful to be beaten by weaklings like them.  
  
Torashi threw the cup on the ground, put the chopsticks on the desk and moved to the ground, where she fell asleep to a bizarre dream.  
  
Torashi woke up, immediately sitting up. She was breathing heavily. It was dark outside and dark in the room.  
  
Torashi closed her eyes; her left hand covered her face. She remembered the dream way to clearly. She had lost, and the penalty was death. It was in the tournament, and she lost. Torashi shook at the memory.  
  
Torashi stood up. "Damn dreams always ruin my sleep. And mine always seem to mean something. Damn them."  
  
The sleep had revitalized her, so she went outside to practice a little more. If she were going to die, she wanted to know that she tried her hardest.  
  
This time, Torashi made sure she was waiting for the rest of the team. It was as if to make up for the previous day.  
  
The Urameshi team walked to the stadium. Torashi wanted to know a bit about the team, so se walked next to Kurama and asked questions. She didn't find much out; much of the demons were young and Kurama didn't know of them.  
  
The rest of the way, Torashi was lost in her own private thoughts. Was she actually nervous before a fight, all because of a dream? What was wrong with her?  
  
Did she actually fear death? No not really. Then what was wrong? Everything. No, specifically. The fights. Things would be difficult now that the yokai knew I am a girl. But they all know you are strong. I hope so...  
  
Torashi's private question-and-answer ended when she bumped into Kurama when the rest of the team stopped at the door.  
  
"Gomen-asi Kurama-kun. I wasn't watching where I was going." Torashi apologized.  
  
"It's all right," he replied.  
  
Torashi decided to go last this time. From what she could tell, the rest of the fights were good. Kurama's fight took a while. Hiei said that was Kurama's bad habit. Kurama always tested his opponent before finishing him off.  
  
Hiei's fight was fairly quick and Torashi wished she could see it. The rest of the team said that it would be a miracle because Hiei used speed to his advantage.  
  
Kuwabara stumbled around with his Rei-ken. Torashi found out that was what he did.  
  
Yusuke was 'lazy' and he just used his fists. That was Yusuke's tactics.  
  
Finally, it was Torashi's turn. She climbed up the ladder quickly before getting a look at her opponent. When he finally got up, Torashi decided she didn't like yokai.  
  
The demon that stood before her was the snake yokai that had helped her discover the Rei-tsumi. The only difference was the scar that ran across its chest.  
  
"Holy shit," Torashi muttered. What the hell was she going up against? Kurama had killed the demon, but there it was, standing in front of her like nothing had happened.  
  
The yokai smiled at the look of surprise on Torashi's face. "We weren't properly introduced before. I am Tsi. Your name has been mentioned a lot around here, Torashi. But let's not let that get in the way. Don't hold back, if that is even possible."  
  
That last comment made Torashi forget her confusion. It was replaced by anger and made her cocky. "Thanks for telling me your name. I'll write it on your grave, if I care enough. And you insulted me, something I do not take kindly to. You can call me a bitch and live, but you just insulted my strength. Prepare to die."  
  
Torashi charged the yokai, rei-tsume out, to show the snake the power she had. Her anger made her naive and Tsi easily avoided her. Torashi had her back to him for only an instant, but that was all the time the yokai needed. He grabbed Torashi by the collar, lifting her above the ground.  
  
"I'll write bitch on your grave, since you like it so much. Of course, if there is anything left of you after this," Tsi said in a hushed tone. A slight flick of his scaly wrist sent the young cat girl flying off the arena.  
  
This happened so fast, Torashi was unable to react until she saw the ground. The team below shouted "Torashi!" at once.  
  
As she fell her shirtsleeves and pants leg pants bunched. The force of the wind pulled most of Torashi's long red hair out of the ponytail she used to keep it out of her face. Her breathing quickened.  
  
As Torashi fell, her life flashed before her eyes. She saw it as if a bystander had videotaped the accents of her life. Her mom's training, starting form when she first fell into the Spring of Drown Cat, to the most valuable lessons. She saw the kids and the ball, and everything else she missed the day not too long ago when she had wished her life was exciting. She remembered meeting Botan, Koenma, the later Kuwabara and the rest of the gang. Her first fight, failed miserably. The fight against her current opponent, and the discovery of her Rei-Tsume. The way she felt when she was around Kurama, the drunken kiss, the bracelet. Torashi looked down at the bracelet, also down where the ground was. All this happened in an instant.  
  
Torashi didn't want to die today, at least not in this manner. She had to prove she was strong to everyone, including herself, by living through this and killing Tsi.  
  
Without thinking, Torashi closed her eyes, hands flat together in front of her, right behind left, angling down. Her thoughts directing themselves through the bracelet. She felt her power growing.  
  
A small bit of Rei formed between the ground and the falling cat. She was to close to fully achieve a stop, but she succeeded in dulling the momentum. When she made contact with the ground Torashi stumbled and then went down to one knee, the impact that great. Torashi opened her eyes, looking down at her hands.  
  
Koto was saying, "Amazing! It appears Contestant Torashi has somehow managed to survive the fall. Um.... How should this be ruled? I don't recall this happening before...."  
  
The Urameshi team shouted reasons why Torashi should be allowed to fight, but it was Tsi who provided the most support, saying, "If her will to live is that strong, (1) let her back up so I can kill her that way. It'll please the audience more too."  
  
"Ok. With permission from the opposing team, Contestant Torashi is allowed to continue the fight. Begin when ready."  
  
Torashi finally succeeded in getting her breathing close back to normal. She gripped the first rung of the ladder, releasing a deep breath to sooth her nerves. Tsi had defiantly meant what he said, but it could be his eagerness to be the best that spurred him to speak. Of course what Torashi didn't know was that Tsi was planning an ambush from the trap door. Torashi climbed up the rope ladder quickly, angered and ready to continue the fight. Once at the top, she decided against the door, and jumped, gripping the side of the arena and pulling herself up that way.  
  
Torashi launched herself at the yokai, knocking him aside and finishing like a fighting cat. "Yes, that speech of yours was great and all, but let's not think of it as a favor," she commented, dodging a punch.  
  
As the two talked, they exchanged blows, blocking and dodging here, striking there. "I mainly did it for me. Now, let's fight fair and square."  
  
"Yeah, fair as in ambushing?" Torashi asked, even though she had done just that. Of course, she wasn't the one who said she would.  
  
She took a step back, preparing for a kick, when she slipped on some yokai blood left over from a previous fight. "Cosoy!" she hissed as she fell again. She was unable to move very fast.  
  
Tsi chose this time to attack the helpless cat, hammering her with punches and kicks. After a while, Torashi decided she had had enough. She pushed herself forward sliding out of the blood. Tsi followed.  
  
"After all that, I didn't think you'd go down that easy," the yokai said as they resumed the exchange of blows. But, instead of being slowed, the exchange was faster, and more violent.  
  
"Wow, did you learn not to underestimate me? Sex doesn't matter when you step into battle. Rule number two."  
  
Distraction made Tsi loose his focus a little as he asked, "Then what's rule number one?"  
  
Torashi took the opportunity to swipe in for the kill. She stabbed her rei- tsume through the yokai's neck and twisted. "Rule number one: Pay attention to the fight. That one should have been obvious."  
  
Koto's shocked expression was almost as enjoyable as the fight had been of Torashi. Koto's look bordered on disgust.  
  
"Hey, you gonna announce it, or do ya quit?" Torashi asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. With another grueling display of blood, Contestant Torashi helps Team Urameshi to their third victory."  
  
As soon as Torashi got off the ladder she intentionally collapsed. She tried to figure out what in the world had happened. She jerked u when Kurama touched her shoulder.  
  
"Niisan," (2) she whispered, hugging Kurama around the waist. Torashi had been raised as an only child, and the only kids she had been around was at school, so she never had felt close to most people other that her okaasan. At school, no one cared about her either.  
  
Torashi leaned back as Kurama stood up. She gripped his hand as he helped her up.  
  
Torashi smiled. "Gomen nasai. I was just so relieved I beat that damned snake."  
  
"Yeah! That's the spirit!" Yusuke shouted, clamping a hand on her shoulder in a friendly gesture.  
  
"And how did you do such a trifle thing like that?" Hiei asked, his back to the group.  
  
"I don't know how I lived through that fall, but I didn't want to die like that." Torashi shrugged, "Besides, if I lost, we'd be down a player. Let's head back now, I'm starving."  
  
She turned, prancing like a cat that caught the big rat.  
  
The rest of the team sighed all at once and, in chorus, said, "I'll never understand that girl."  
  
Only Hiei bothered to add, "And I'm not sure I'd care too."  
  
Torashi was disappointed by the lack of varying foods. The only thing they had was instant noodles. Angered, she took a cup to her room and threw it at the window. Harmless, they fell to the ground. She glared at them form the bed. The cup of hot water cooled on the bedside table.  
  
"I hate instant noodles. They don't frickin have any flavor, and I don't like that. But...it is food..." She got off the bed with the cup of water in her hand to get the cup of noodles. Torashi ate under the window and, worn from the fights, fell asleep.  
  
For some reason, Torashi knew it was a dream. Dreams were the only time other that death that you got to float through nothingness, and there was a multi-colored background.  
  
There was a man standing casually not far from where she was sitting. He was fairly tall and had flowing raven black hair.  
  
"So, the girl Kurama has chosen is beautiful. Nothing compared to himself, but pretty all the same," he said.  
  
Groggy, Torashi said, "What are you talking about? I don't even know who the hell you are."  
  
"My mistake. Kurama obviously doesn't talk about me much. What a shame."  
  
"Wonder why," Torashi muttered. Aloud she said, "And who are you?"  
  
"I am Karasu. I fought on Toguro's team during the finals of the Dark Tournament. If you can't tell, I lost."  
  
"So why should I care?"  
  
"He takes a liking to you, little cat. He made promises to you he would never have made to someone like me, or to any one else, even if circumstances were different."  
  
"Yeah, so what?"  
  
Karasu smiled. "You're a pretty good fighter. Don't get yourself killed, for Kurama's sake. I don't want to see you in Reikai.  
  
"  
  
The dream faded into nothingness. Torashi jerked awake, barely aware of what she was doing. She looked around, realizing no one was there besides the darkness.  
  
She dressed in the black shirt and capris before going down stairs. She shuffled around for a wile, looking for anything other than stupid instant noodles, but found nothing. Then she went outside to warm-up before the fourth match.  
  
Torashi was in as good of a mood as she had been in for a while. She attempted to make soup for the group, but that didn't work out too well. Instead, she waited for the group while eating a cup of noodles.  
  
The team was down an hour before the match started, and Torashi wanted to know a little of what was going on. Kurama, Hiei and Yusuke looked ready for the fight, but Kuwabara looked ready to go back to sleep. They sat at the table without saying anything.  
  
Torashi had been quiet since she had gotten up and the tension in the room was killing her. "Did I do something wrong? You guys would tell me if I did, right?"  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong," Kurama replied shortly.  
  
"Then, what's wrong?"  
  
Yusuke changed the subject. "I think I'm hungry. How bout you Kuwabara? What'll ya have?"  
  
Kuwabara took a while before realizing all they had was noodles. "Urameshi, don't trick me like that!"  
  
Torashi found it odd that Hiei hadn't commented on Kuwabara's stupidity. She looked over at him and found him looking elsewhere. He looked up at her and Torashi quickly looked away.  
  
"I think I need to practice a little bit. I won't be late for the match," Hiei said before leaving.  
  
There was something strange going on, and Torashi wanted to know what. She had a feeling that it had to do with her, which was why the guys weren't telling her, which made her want to know more. Her mind was rolling with ideas, and most of them were just junk. Hiei was always the most reclusive, but he wasn't acting like himself today. He seemed even more uncomfortable than usual, too.  
  
Torashi shook her head, trying to clear out the thoughts. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Maybe it had something to do with her own prediction of her own death, but that seemed like to crazy of a coincidence.  
  
She might not ever really know. But she finally decided she didn't care. Torashi thought that, but she still was a little curious.  
  
Torashi stood up, a fake smile spread across her face. "I think we should be going now. The match might start soon."  
  
The guys nodded their agreement. They ignored the half-eaten noodles, leaving them to remain on the table.  
  
They left, Torashi way ahead of the rest of the group. The rest of the team followed slowly, as if to keep their distance from the ganky (3) girl.  
  
They passed Hiei about half way to the stadium. He glared at Torashi, asking "What's wrong with her?"  
  
Everyone shrugged, and Kuwabara said, "I dunno. Maybe it was something she ate."  
  
The walk was boring and way too quiet in Torashi's opinion. She hummed a bit of a song as she walked, hoping to get the tune out of her head before she fought. She reached the stadium way before the others, and waited for them outside. They walked in as a group.  
  
"What order are we going to go in?" Torashi asked.  
  
The guys exchanged a glance before Kurama offered to go first. Then, Hiei, followed by Kuwabara and then Yusuke.  
  
"I guess you're going last, eh Torashi?" Yusuke joked.  
  
Torashi ignored the joke, saying, "Whatever. Just don't kill all of 'em. I want to get at least one fight today."  
  
The guys exchanged a worried glance that Torashi chose to ignore, even though she did see it.  
  
They entered the arena area and waited for the match to start. When it did, Kurama climbed up the rope ladder.  
  
Nothing much happened during the fights. All of Team Urameshi won with little or no scratches, including Kuwabara. Torashi got her fight in so she was happy. The boys just seemed relieved about something that Torashi was unable to determine. She decided that she was going to try to find out as they walked back to the hotel.  
  
"Hey guys, what's going on? You've been avoiding me all day. There's something wrong, so don't deny it, and everyone knows but me."  
  
The group was quiet a moment, then Kurama said, "Hiei predicted one of us may die by the end of the tournament. We didn't want to bother you with such a minor thing."  
  
"Look, you guys can tell me just about anything. As that one saying goes, 'I'm an open book.' Tell me next time," Torashi was agitated by this, but it didn't really matter. Of course, she thought, that really could mean something. First I have a dream about it, and then Hiei predicts it. I'd better watch myself.  
  
The Urameshi team finished the walk back to the hotel they were staying at with no problems. And, for once, that didn't bother Torashi.  
  
I can't fight without you,  
But I can't win with you.  
What should I do to satisfy both?  
For fighting is necessary,  
But winning is crucial.  
Lives hang in balance,  
One a win can tip.  
If I lose you, why bother to win?  
But why let feelings like these determine our lives?  
I feel like I am loosing,  
Or already have lost.  
  
Explanations:  
  
Sorry, I've watched way too much Kenshin lately.... Brother, or better is older brother... (3) Happy or hyper active, like Excel Saga....  
  
Author's note: Ok, that was chapter nine. We're getting closer to the end and I'm getting crazier. That poem up above, I came up with that. It fit in nicely with things, so I put it in. In this story, it sounds like it's from Kurama's viewpoint. So, keep reading and reviewing for me and it might get updated again. Of course, I've been really lazy lately, so I haven't typed for a while, so maybe reviews will help me with the pain...  
  
That's all for now, so have fun. 


	10. Hating Predictions

Chapter 10: Hating Predictions  
  
The arena was dark, gloomy, and terrifying. Dark clouds covered the stadium, embracing it with an icy chill. For the members of the Urameshi team, it meant more threats from the weather that the audience. Only a few hardy yokai were there to watch.  
  
The only one on the human team who wasn't oblivious to the weather was Torashi. Rain always made her feel week, and, although she liked the clouds, her curse would haunt her were it to rain.  
  
Thunder echoed through the stadium as lightning struck not far from it.  
  
"That was pretty close. Let's get this last round started before we all get rained out!" Koto said over the loud speaker.  
  
"Let's keep this fight going. We don't stop until all the members of the other team are down and out." Yusuke stated the terms of the fight. "We'll allow a retreat, but that forfeits a win."  
  
The other team eagerly agreed.  
  
"I'll go first. I'll try to leave some for you guys," Yusuke volunteered. He climbed up the ladder, swaying in a slight wind.  
  
"I think I will go next. Is that all right with the rest of you?" Kurama suggested, looking at each member.  
  
"Then me. I want a semi-early fight this time," Torashi demanded.  
  
"Aw, man. I wanted to go," Kuwabara complained.  
  
"Why don't you let me go? It's an easier way of settling things," Hiei remarked.  
  
"If you can't agree, let Jaken handle this," Kurama suggested.  
  
The group tried several times before a true result was reached.  
  
"All right! I really am going next and no one can change that!" Torashi exclaimed.  
  
"How did you win? I've never lost a game of Jaken before," Kuwabara complained.  
  
"I won. Don't deny it with crap like that. Besides, there's a first time for everything."  
  
Kuwabara changed his prey from Torashi to Hiei. "Not very good at Jaken are you Hiei?" he mocked.  
  
"It's a pathetic Human game. Why the hell should I care if I can play it well or not?" Hiei replied.  
  
"Whatever. I'm going after Kurama," Torashi stated proudly.  
  
"Then, I'll go, which means..." Kuwabara trailed off, thinking.  
  
"I'm last you clown," Hiei assisted.  
  
Yusuke went through two yokai before retreating. Kurama took out another yokai but he had trouble with it. He came down, and then sat next to the Urameshi team.  
  
Torashi climbed the rope ladder, praying silently to herself. She realized she was a little nervous, and that pissed her off. Nothing would happen. She double-checked her whips, making sure they were still snug on her wrists.  
  
When she was up, she shifted nervously from foot to foot. Finally her opponent was up. It was a giant of a yokai, big and muscley. (Sorry, that's a made up word. Makes more sense to me...)  
  
Koto announced, "This fight will be the Urameshi Team's Torashi against" she was drowned out by a roll of thunder. "Begin!"  
  
Torashi dashed forward and began punching the yokai. It didn't even flinch from the onslaught of blows.  
  
"No rei? That will make it rather difficult to get through my wall of muscles," the demon reprimanded.  
  
Dammit, Torashi thought. He's right. But, my rei isn't working right. I've never liked the rain, but this is ridiculous.  
  
The yokai aimed a punch at Torashi. She was quicker and jumped backwards out of the way. She was left looking at the hole the punch had left in the rink.  
  
He's stronger than me, but I'm quicker. The determining point is going to be endurance. He's going to be sorry when I get tired of this.  
  
Torashi tried once more to summon her rei-tsume, but it didn't work. She fingered the whips. Not yet. Wear the damn thing down before truthfully attacking.  
  
Continuously, the yokai made swipes at Torashi, and constantly, she avoided them. This went on for several minutes, before Torashi started feeling the beginnings of strain.  
  
She dodged quickly, slashing at the yokai's arm and jumping over its shoulder.  
  
"That was nothing! Are you sure you know what you're doing?" The yokai asked, turning around.  
  
"I wouldn't be here if didn't. I'd be careful now if I were you," Torashi was staring at the yokai, "But, thank Koenma, I'm not."  
  
Again, she bolted forward. The yokai was taller than she was, so the speed was to help her clear the jump onto the yokai's shoulder. Torashi brought her right whip back across to her left shoulder and lashed out at the yokai's neck. As soon as she hit the vein, Torashi sprang off its shoulder, landing and slipping on the loose gravel.  
  
Her vision swayed. Looking over, Torashi realized what had happened. Blood trickled slowly from a thin scrape on her upper left arm.  
  
"I...I'm done!" she announced. She staggered up to the trap door and climbed down the ladder. She fell not far from the ground as her vision blurred, somehow landing on her feet.  
  
Torashi looked at the group, a slight smile on her face. She held two fingers out in front of her, symbolizing victory. (It's like peace, but in anime, it stands for a great accomplishment.) "Don't loose. The fight's ours."  
  
She fell forward, catching herself before she fully hit the ground. The group rushed forward to see if she was all right. "I soaked those whips in poison. Got that thing pretty good," she pressed two fingers to her neck. "I gave Kuwabara the fight, if he'll live long enough to win. Just avoid contact and it will die. Course, I screwed up and got myself as well..." Torashi finished passing out from the poison's influence.  
  
Torashi came to in pain and she knew the poison was spreading. It always did. She was laying on her side, facing the window, her back to the door. Torashi knew she was in her own room, how, she couldn't conclude with a clouded thought.  
Her rei was dispersed, and she was too cautious to try and work it, but Torashi did know there was someone else in the room from the occasional turn of paper.  
  
The latch on the door clicked open and someone walked in. Yusuke by the sound of his voice as he said, "Hey, Kurama. How long do you plan on sitting here?"  
  
Torashi's mind took a few seconds to process the thought that Kurama was in the room, watching over her.  
  
"I feel I should watch over her. We made a promise and I want to be here when she remembers. I hold her to it," Kurama replied to Yusuke.  
  
Oh yeah, that promise, Torashi reminded herself.  
  
"I think there's more," Yusuke prompted.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I think you like her, you just don't want to admit it. You still have a bit of yokai in you, that's why. Let it go, Kurama. Things like that only happen every once in a while."  
  
"Don't be absurd Yusuke."  
  
"Don't kid yourself, Kurama. If you love her, you love her. You two make a cute pair," Yusuke left the room, the door clicking back into place.  
  
"I don't know if that's true Yusuke. Is it?" Kurama whispered.  
  
Maybe Yusuke is right. Maybe we do care about each other, but don't know how to express it. Things like that get really confusing. Torashi thought, as she faded off, back to oblivion.  
  
Continuously, Torashi awoke sometimes for a while, or there were grueling long times. Kurama was there to help with her needs. She managed to get some water a couple times, but that was all. Then, the unthinkable happened.  
  
So how was it? I got jipped a betta, so if there are a couple grammar or spelling problems, don't worry about it... Reviews are going to be treated like Tagalongs, because I only get so many...I'm sorry for taking so long typing, by now I almost have the story all written out, so all I need is the typing...not quite tho, major writers block....You probably know how it is..... 


	11. Ghosts of the Past

Author note: If you like it tell me. If you don't, tell me any way. I want to know why, and I might revamp it once I get all of it up...So Don't go away! Plus, I don't really have a beta reader anymore, so there are bound to be typos...Sorry for that...ï But it will be up faster now....  
  
Hee, this one's good. I think it helps show how Torashi is....  
  
Chapter 11: Ghosts of the Past  
  
During one of the black outs, Torashi's unorganized thoughts slipped to the past, back when she was paying attention to school.  
  
She had been in the first grade when a few girls had permitted her to be in their group. Thrilled to be a part of anything they did, Torashi hadn't realized she was only there to place blame, or occasionally as a source for humor.  
  
Every once in a while, they would have girlie conversations about clothes and things, and Torashi would play along, pretending to know, even though she didn't.  
  
Around the fifth grade, the girls started asking what kind of guy the rest wanted. All of them said their 'Mister Right' was tall and hunky, or really rich. Torashi always put a lot of thought into it before answering; finally deciding she wanted a guy who was "a caring man who allowed her to do what she wanted. He had to be fairly smart, and supportive. Someone who would prove a good match in a fight with her. Not really ugly, just normal."  
  
Torashi realized that her ideal man was like Kurama. Maybe he is my Mister Right.  
  
But all of the girls had laughed at her. It was all a joke to them. They all though "who cares as long as he's good looking."  
  
After she got home, her okasan would comfort her. Torashi always remembered her okasan as a strict master, but when she wasn't helping with training, she was always calm and caring.  
  
Finally, Torashi had gotten tired of being laughed at and getting in someone else's trouble, so she severed her ties with the girls. She matured, getting in her own fights and doing her own scheming.  
  
She did learn something from that though. Who to avoid, who to hang a little with, who to pick on for fun and, although they got pissed, they'd do nothing about it. She learned the fights she could pick and walk away from, and the ones she couldn't on her own. No one knew your limit better than yourself.  
  
That was the only thing that had changed now. She didn't know the strengths of yokai and was unable to fight them as well. Well, maybe not the only thing that had changed. She might have a boyfriend in this dimension.  
  
Torashi was interrupted by awareness before she passed out again.  
  
This time, it was more like the dream Torashi had a while back. (Hee, chapter 9, if you forgot...) Even that guy from before was there, too. The only difference was, she actually knew she was out cold. She tried to speak, to tell him to go the hell away, but she found she felt too weak and couldn't.  
  
Karasu talked to her first. "I must be really stupid. I thought someone like you would be right for Kurama. You really are something. You are like a tiny inu (1) that won't stop barking, even knowing that the rest of the world is bigger than it. That is really lame," Karasu paused, catching his breath.  
  
Each word bit Torashi like a bug, but she still couldn't do anything. The whole thing pissed her off.  
  
Karasu continued, "I already said I didn't want to see you in Reikai yet. You made an empty promise to Kurama if you are giving up now. You're nothing but a little girl. A weak selfish little weasel who thinks the world is for herself and no one else. You'll break Kurama's trust and his heart. You say you can't, but can't means won't. Fine, you can give up without a fight. It's not up to me. I just can't stand looking at you any more." He finished. Karasu turned and left, but Torashi still thought she hear him say, "that was the most I could do. Gomen Kurama."  
  
Torashi was stunned and near tears. She hardened herself. She wasn't ready to go back to Reikai yet. There was too much to do. Torashi decided she would make it.  
  
Nothing would be worse than breaking the promise she had made to Kurama, except having to marry Kuwabara.  
  
Torashi bolted awake. Even though the pain wasn't as bad, she was able to tell the poison was still infecting her. She still felt hot and cold, all at the same time, too. She had tried feeling for her rei, but it was scattered and seemed to be busy. Torashi decided that it was probably one of the main reasons she hadn't died.  
  
Torashi sighed in aggravation. Since her rei was low, she found it odd that the bracelet Kurama had given her was pulsing with rei.  
  
Torashi didn't know if experimenting was going to be good or not in her condition, but she figured it was worth the try. She focused the small flow of rei and channeled it through the bracelet. Even though that was the most she had done in a while it exhausted her, and she fell asleep on her own, for the first time since she screwed up.  
  
Torashi woke up, but she didn't open her eyes. She felt the amount of rei moving through her, and concluded the poison was almost gone. Torashi felt oddly energetic, but found her left arm wasn't cooperating and her right arm was restricted when moving.  
  
Curious and a little pissed off, Torashi opened her eyes. At once she saw the plant from her bedside table had grown and wrapped around her right wrist. She tugged and jerked to get it off, but it didn't work. All she succeeded in doing was falling off the bed, sheets and all. Still she struggled. Torashi was tempted to bite it off, but wasn't sure if the plant was poisonous or not, so she didn't.  
  
Torashi jumped in surprise when the door opened. Kurama stood in the door, looking worried for a moment. "Daijoubu desu ka, Torashi-san?" (2)  
  
His calmness pissed Torashi off further. "There's a fricken plant attacking me!"  
  
Kurama barely kept from laughing as he walked over to help Torashi. He applied a small bit of rei and the plant greedily switched to climb up Kurama's arm instead. He persuaded it to climb back into its pot.  
  
"Arigatoo, Kurama-kun," Torashi said, sighing with relief.  
  
Kurama smiled, "It's good to see you're feeling better, considering you got in a fight with that plant. I still think you may want to rest a bit, though."  
  
"All right. But only because that is one damned plant and I don't want to trigger the growth like that again."  
  
"I'll leave you be, then." Kurama got up and was standing in the doorway when Torashi stopped him.  
  
"Hey, Kurama-kun. Thanks for everything."  
  
Kurama smiled before leaving. He shut the door quietly behind him.  
  
Torashi sighed, climbed back into bed, and fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
Torashi awoke somewhere around midnight. The poison was finally cycling out of her system and she wanted to move. She heard a scratching at her window, followed by the click of the latch. Torashi pretended to be asleep.  
  
A shadow slipped into her room from the window. As it crept towards her bed, an evil gleam glinted from its eye.  
  
A thought occurred to Torashi, Do yokai have balls? She smiled lightly as she decided to find out.  
  
The shadow crept close, looming over her bed. Torashi kicked out and was rewarded as the yokai doubled over onto her floor.  
  
Yes, Torashi mused, I think most yokai do have balls.  
  
She waited until the yokai was able to stand, taking the time to sit up, before she began her question. "Who the hell are you and what the hell did you think you were going to do in my room?"  
  
Still surprised, the yokai stuttered, "I...I am one of the Princes of Makai. I just wanted to know if you were dead."  
  
Torashi was disgusted, fully knowing its true intentions.  
  
The prince obviously knew she could tell because he bent low, saying, "I...I'm sorry!"  
  
"Not as sorry as you'll be when you get your royal ass kicked out 0of my window. You had fun sneaking in, hope you have fun free-falling out of it."  
  
Torashi stood up, grabbed the yokai's collar and walked to the window.  
  
"Sayronara," she whispered as she flipped open the window and threw the yokai out of it. It screamed, but was cut short.  
  
"Yokai," Torashi muttered in an exasperated tone as she walked back to the bed for some more sleep.  
  
(K, below is a bit of a translation for one of Kurama's songs called Embracing the Ice Knife and Torashi's response that is similarish in subject.)  
  
The bottom of my heart's lake  
Is rimmed with ice,  
Yet my fate is to continue living.  
Because of that, I'll fight to the end.  
  
Close to my heart,  
You call gently to me, but I close my ears.  
There is also a day I run to,  
Embracing the ice knife  
  
But someday this peace  
will warm the world.  
My frozen soul will probably melt too,  
Setting a prism free.  
  
Until that day comes, keep on going.  
We are fighting. Don't stop.  
  
Fight to believe in the future,  
Because that is why we're alive.  
Jump into believing in yourself,  
In order to build a new era.  
  
Surely when the day comes  
That the Earth changes into a paradise,  
Even my weapons will melt,  
Overflown with sunlight.  
  
Searching for that day, Keep on running.  
We are fighting. Go on.  
  
I'll cross the bridge to the future  
Even if it's risking my life,  
Even if it is a frozen bridge,  
I'll run across it.  
  
I've tried to melt your frozen heart,  
But you have turned away.  
  
I do not know how close I came,  
But I think now, I feel a little warmth.  
  
Explanations:  
  
1) Inu means dog. Like inu yasha. Dog demon....I think. Something along those lines...  
  
2) Are you all right. Ha, that one came from watching the beasts of maze castle to much....lol.  
  
Author's note: Chap 11 done! Sorry if it seems weird if I stick, like two chapters up at once. I forget, and barely can get on anymore..... R&R please, no matter what you all think. If you read it, just tell me, good, or bad....PLEASE!!!! 


	12. Returning to Normal Life

Chapter 12: Returning to Normal Life  
  
The Urameshi Team stayed at the hotel for two days after the assault in Torashi's room. No one said anything about it, even if carnage was found under her window.  
  
Torashi learned that after she passed out, it had rained, so they carried her back as a neko. Then, Botan had changed her back and clothed her. Kurama had watched her after that. Also, that they had, of course won.  
  
Torashi had spent the days resting. Sometimes, she would sit and stare out the window, dangling her legs out of it, wishing she had a cd player or something to listen to, mainly to help out with boredom. Her left arm was still paralyzed, a lingering effect of her clumsiness.  
  
Torashi went back to sleeping and napping on the ground. The episode with the plant was enough to remind her that the ground was better for sleeping.  
  
Torashi didn't talk with Kurama a lot those two days, preferring the uncomfortable silence. She knew she wasn't supposed to know that they liked each other, so she kept quiet about it, and Kurama didn't mention anything about it either.  
  
On the third day, the group took a short walk to the bus stop. Torashi was pissed off when she was tired after the walk, which put her in a fairly bad mood. A short nap on the bus smoothed her ruffled feathers, and she followed Kurama quietly to his house, where she napped, only waking up to eat some real food.  
  
Torashi was surprised that, the next day, Kurama was going back to school. If she had done the tournament in her dimension, she wouldn't have gone back to school for the rest of the week. Torashi spent her day on the roof, watching and occasionally tormenting passer-by.  
  
She borrowed a jacket and a hat from Kurama's room before going out to walk home with him from his school. The reason for her 'disguise' was to mainly hide herself from the crowd at school, especially the girls she just knew would flip if they saw another girl with Shuichi, but it also helped hide her arm a little. It would work every once in a while, but it hurt.  
  
Kurama had lectured her for a while, but Torashi ignored most of it, saying that she didn't want to cause problems for him.  
  
A week went by like that. Torashi's strength worked it's way up until she was fully revitalized and her left arm was fine, too.  
  
By the weekend, her arm was even working right. Kurama took Torashi on a trip to Kyoto by subway.  
  
Although she was new to the story of romantics, Torashi didn't really count the trip as a date, having neither of them expressed their true feeling for each other. It was more like a history field trip, and they were ditching to be with the other.  
  
The weekend went by quick, and soon, Kurama went back to school on Monday. (I think in Japan, kids only have one day a week off, but who cares? It's a fan fic by a girl who needs to do more research.....)  
  
That morning, Kurama told Torashi to go to the academy (Yes, Shuichi-kun goes to an academy. He's too smart for a public school, unlike Yusuke and Kuwa-chan...) wearing what she would wear any other day.  
  
Torashi didn't believe him and wouldn't have listened, but he locked his room. Bored and energetic, Torashi hit the streets, looking for a fight. She wandered around the city for the day, and then went to Kurama's school to wait.  
  
When Kurama got out of his final period, he saw Torashi sitting onto of the concrete signpost, stating that this was Meio Academy. He walked toward her, looking up at her for a minute.  
  
Torashi hopped down, landing gracefully in front of Kurama. "There's a nice view from up there, Shuichi-kun," she said cheerfully, smiling.  
  
As they turned to walk away, Torashi heard small groups of people muttering amongst themselves, which she ignored.  
  
Most of the guys were talking about how "Minamino is so lucky. He always has the best looking girls fawning over him," while the girls exclaimed, "I can't believe he would go for someone like that. She's not very pretty either," and everyone realized they were on a first name basis. (Ok, I think most people refer to you by their last name, so a first name basis is pretty good...)  
  
Torashi did risk a quick glance back. "I think those people think we're going out or something. This will cause problems for you, right?"  
  
"Torashi-san, it's all right. I think it's better. People might actually leave me alone now."  
  
"You better tell me if anyone pisses you off about this. If they do, I'll kick their ass. You know I will."  
  
Kurama laughed. "I hope I don't have to take you up on that offer."  
  
"For their sake right?"  
  
"Torashi-san, don't go starting fights for no good reason."  
  
"I'll try to remember that. It's a different story if they start it, right?"  
  
Torashi gave in, realizing she really shouldn't cause problems because the Minamino household would have to amend for her.  
  
The whole week went by quickly. Torashi would explore the city while Kurama was at school, and people would talk behind their backs as they walked home together.  
  
Torashi heard that some of the guys at Kurama's school were picking on him for getting beautiful girls so easily. But when she asked Kurama, he said it was nothing.  
  
She had told him, "Kurama-kun, you're just way too nice to people." It was half complaint, half reprimand. All he had done in response was smile slightly and the matter dropped.  
  
The week went by, and on their way home from school Friday, Kurama asked, "Where should we go this weekend?"  
  
"Let's go to Outsu!"(1) Torashi joked, punching a fist in the air.  
  
Kurama looked at her curiously. "Outsu?"  
  
"I was joking. I think we should stay here. Kyoto was great, so we should balance it all out and stay here this weekend."  
  
That was what they had planned, but, before it could happen, they had an unexpected visitor."  
  
Side Notes:  
  
1) Gommen! That's a little joke my friends and I came up with while watching the first Kenshin OVA. He was practically dying and he was trying to save his girlfriend. As he walked he kept saying, "Let's go to Outsu. Let's go to Outsu" like a battle cry or something. If you like Kenshin, you haveta see the ova's. Let's go to Outsu!)  
  
OK, that one was short. Sorry, but there's not a lot to say...Humor Muse got away a little, so sorry. I think the next one'll be longer, but, you never know with typing..... 


	13. Some News and Unexpected Visitors

Chapter 13: Some News and Unexpected Visitors  
  
Torashi was sleeping when a knock came from the front door, startling her awake. She listened carefully to see if anyone else was awake before a louder, more urgent knock came.  
  
Grumbling, Torashi got up to open the door. The bubbly, blue haired girl who was supposed to be the Grim Reaper had come, smiling.  
  
Torashi leaned on the doorframe. "Can't you be a bit quieter? It's a weekend, after all. We need our sleep."  
  
"Yes, I can see that," Botan replied, noting tousled red hair and rumpled clothed. "Sorry, but Koenma-sama told me to tell you..."  
  
Torashi yawned. "Sorry. Not interested."  
  
Botan laughed. "Let me finish. He sent me to tell you we've discovered a way to get you home. We're almost positive it will work, but it has to be done next weekend."  
  
"Home?" Torashi asked, tiredly. She had almost forgotten she was from a different dimension. That, and her mind was still half asleep.  
  
"Yes, home. Or have you already forgotten?"  
  
"No, I haven't forgotten," Torashi replied, trying to regain her composure. "Is that all? 'Cuz if it is, then you can go now."  
  
"Yes, it is. Meet us at the riverbed in the park next Saturday. See ya then!" Botan finished. She held out a hand where a boat paddle appeared and hopped on, flying away.  
  
Torashi yawned again before going inside. Nothing seemed to faze her now, especially since she was half asleep. The 'Grim Reaper' flying off on a boat paddle wouldn't seem weird after fighting super natural things like yokai.  
  
Torashi sat in the hall in front of Kurama's room, waiting to tell him the news. She didn't have to wait long. He came out and looked at her, asking, "Who was at the door?"  
  
Torashi looked at the wall, not wanting to see Kurama's reaction. She said tonelessly, "That was Botan. I'm supposed to go to the riverbed next Saturday to go home."  
  
"Really. Well, then, let's make the most of this weekend."  
  
Torashi smiled weakly as she looked up, finally making eye contact.  
  
Kurama brushed a hand across her head as he walked by, saying, "You might want to get ready," before walking down the hall.  
  
Torashi pouted for a few seconds, annoyed at the motion. Why was everyone picking on her? But, she walked back down the hall to her corner. She got her street clothes on, brushed her hair, and then flipped it back into a ponytail. (I don't care if that isn't true terms. I think it fits, so...)  
  
By that time, Kurama had gotten ready as well, and, together, they left to go explore the city.  
  
The weekend went by quickly, and Torashi was left to her own entertainment for the last week of her dimension travel. She wandered carelessly through the city for the whole week, trusting others not to pick a fight with her. Torashi had discovered the best shops and food places were on the weekend, and chose to window shop. She would go to walk with Kurama after he got out of school to the Minamino home.  
  
There was little variation the whole week. A couple of times, Ms. Shiori's boyfriend had come over with his son, so Torashi had eaten up on the roof to leave the soon-to-be family alone.  
  
On Tuesday, she had taken a wrong turn looking for a specific store, and wandered down a shadowy alley. Some men blocked her exit as when she was half way through. Torashi turned to leave but four men had also blocked that way. Torashi realized they were a gang, and, from past experience, she thought there should be one or two up on the short roofs to keep her from running.  
  
She cursed her stupidity, knowing she should have been able to see the trap and easily avoided it. Torashi gauged them up, deciding she should only take them on one or two at a time. Her best bet would have been to take out the tree in front and then run for it, but she never liked running from a fight. Torashi also could have risked climbing the wall, but she knew she probably would have screwed that up.  
  
Before Torashi could take action, there were several cries from the rooftops. A black shadow jumped down, and, in a flash, took out the four gang members in back of her, then the three in front.  
  
Hiei stopped directly in front of Torashi. "They aren't dead, but you might want to get out of here. You should be more aware of your surroundings."  
  
"I had that completely under control," Torashi shot back.  
  
"If you don't like it, talk to Kurama."  
  
"What does Kurama have to do with this?"  
  
"How should I know. You both are dealing with stupid human emotions."  
  
"You suggested it."  
  
"Hn," Hiei snorted before disappearing.  
  
Torashi walked down the ally way, thinking, Damn that short bastard. He helps out, then disses you and takes of. Lovely attitude.  
  
As she merged back with the crowd, Hiei watched her from the top of a building.  
  
Torashi had walked to the academy just as it let out. As they walked back, she complained to Kurama about what Hiei said.  
  
"Torashi-san, I'm sorry. I didn't want anything bad to happen to you while I was at school. I asked Hiei to watch after you so you wouldn't get into too much trouble," Kurama apologized.  
  
"Kurama-kun, don't you have any confidence in my abilities?" Torashi complained.  
  
"No. You have a knack for attracting trouble, and I didn't want it to be so much that you couldn't handle it."  
  
"So you asked Hiei to watch my back? Kurama-kun, that sucks!"  
  
"Oh, come on Torashi-san. You're the one drawing this conversation out. I said I was sorry, can't you leave it at that?"  
  
Torashi smiled slyly. "Well, I am getting hungry..."  
  
"We'll be home soon. Stop complaining."  
  
"Aw, Kurama-kun, you're no fun," Torashi joked.  
  
The two went on like that until they got home, a small bicker they both enjoyed.  
  
Torashi didn't encounter any more of those kind of problems, but Kurama was testing Torashi and had her lead them home.  
  
Torashi pushed her way through the afternoon crowd, knowing she knew the way by now. A warm presence passed over her hand, gripping tightly. For a moment, she got distracted. Then, she looked down, and, realizing it was Kurama's hand gripping hers, she looked back, making eye contact. Torashi wasn't able to find anything out through Kurama's natural calmness.  
  
Kurama seemed to be ignoring the small gesture, so Torashi tried ignoring it too. She pressed forward, wanting to shout something to the world, what, she didn't know.  
  
Kurama stopped, pulling Torashi to him. "We aren't going directly home," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Nani?(1) Where are we going then?"  
  
"Curiosity killed the neko, Torashi-san."  
  
Kurama pulled her through the crowded streets.  
  
"That's not funny, Kurama-kun."  
  
"I could tell you to close your eyes. I think that would be funny. You don't have to though."  
  
They walked a little more until they came to an ice cream vendor.  
  
"What kind, Torashi-san?"  
  
"Kind? Oh. Do they have green tea ice cream? I had it once. I loved it."  
  
"I'm sure they do. It's very popular."  
  
They found out the vendor did have some, and Torashi ended up with a cone full. Kurama didn't get anything, saying his okasan would worry if he didn't eat anything after school. Torashi dismissed the thought, and finished the cone off before they even got home.  
  
That was Friday, the last day she had at the Minamino house.  
  
Side Notes: 1) What. YAY! Ok, I was just bored and I'm getting so many lovely reviews (Thanks a lot by the way to my recent reviewers Psycho Rurouni Kitsune, animegirl417 Sailor Mini Venus, blue fox demon) that I managed to type this chap. Working on the next one. See ya then! 


	14. Goodbye is the Beginning of Tomorrow

I know, I named it after another one of Kurama-kun's songs. This is sooo close to being the last chapter. Well, it is basically, because the next one is the epilogue! Congrats to you guys for sticking through! And congrats for me for finishing. I don't care if you review just to compliment me for actually finishing a story either!  
  
Chapter 14: Goodbye is the Beginning of Tomorrow  
  
Torashi woke up, disturbed by a dream about the end of the world. She tried to figure out what it meant, then she remembered. The day was Saturday, she was leaving. The end of her world, she realized.  
  
Torashi sat there for a while, taking in the clean smell of the house. She wanted to remember it. Her life had changed when she fell into the new dimension. Torashi had improved her fighting, broadened her horizon for thoughts and beliefs, and even met someone she wanted to stay with forever. The only problem was, that was the only thing she couldn't do.  
  
Torashi sighed, shaking her head as she went to go find Kurama. He wasn't in his room, which disappointed Torashi. She at least wanted to say good-bye to him before leaving.  
  
Torashi walked slowly down the almost deserted road to the park. Since she didn't have to concentrate on where she was going, She reflected on what happened.  
  
She knew she had to go, to that there was no question. If she stayed, she'd only cause problems.  
  
Despite all of the shit she had said about the group at times, she had grown to like being part of it. Torashi felt as if she should always be part of it. But leaving would fix any problems she had caused when she changed dimensions. She'd at least have to tell her okasan if she were planning something like that again.  
  
Torashi decided then and there that it would happen again. The next time would be intentional. Torashi would find a way to make it work.  
  
Torashi's thoughts trailed around after that, mostly about Kurama, until she got to the park. She supposed it really was something like love that drove her to think like that.  
  
Torashi looked around the park, trying to find a trace of anyone she knew, especially Botan or Koenma, because they would help the most. She picked up the familiar yoki and followed it to the river. Torashi got closer before realizing she had found out where Kurama had gone. He sat under one of the only trees by the river, seeking peace from his confused feelings.  
  
She walked up quietly behind him; thankful her wish had been granted. "K...Kurama-kun," she whispered tentatively.  
  
He turned around slowly as Torashi walked over, following her as she took a seat to his left. Kurama's eyes were filled with a hopeless sorrow, a surprise for Torashi who usually couldn't tell anything aside from his calmness. Guilt stabbed through her like a knife.  
  
"So, you found me," Kurama whispered.  
  
Torashi leaned against Kurama, seeking some sort of comfort. She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking out across the river.  
  
"Not intentionally. You were where I am supposed to be, so if you wanted privacy, you went to the wrong place."  
  
They sat quietly for a few minutes, taking the moment in as if it were a picture.  
  
Torashi broke the silence, whispering, "I wish I could have seen you in your Yoko form."  
  
"No you don't."  
  
"Why not? I could handle it."  
  
"I'm not saying you couldn't. It's just...Yoko is too different from the Kurama you know."  
  
"Are you worried I wouldn't like you if I saw you as a yokai?"  
  
"Basically. You just wouldn't."  
  
"You don't know me that well, then. But, if you don't want to show me, fine. I still think kitsune ears would look cute."  
  
Kurama smiled slightly, even if his eyes were still sad.  
  
"I'm sorry I have to go. Botan said it'd screw things up in my real life if I were to stay though. I can't stay, no matter how much I want to, because..." Torashi trailed off. Now wasn't a time to express feelings she wasn't even sure of.  
  
"Because of what, Torashi-san?" Kurama pressed.  
  
"Never mind. It's noting. I was just thinking aloud."  
  
"You started something, so finish it. I think I caught a bit of your curiosity."  
  
"You said it yourself, curiosity killed the neko. Besides...it's difficult to say. I mean, you're so smart, so caring, so calm, I think I may have fallen in love with you."  
  
Kurama didn't look surprised, rather smiled a bit more. "Yusuke said that I was over protective of you when you were out cold. He said I might love you as well. I believe it could be, no is true. I've spent so much time with you, I think you grew on me."  
  
"Torashi! Get your ass over here! You know it's time to go!" Yusuke yelled.  
  
Torashi looked back to where she heard the voice. "When did they get here? It's not like I need a parade of something to see me off."  
  
Torashi stood up and walked a few paces away. Kurama stood up as well, catching Torashi's hand. As she turned, he pulled her into an embrace. Kurama hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.  
  
Torashi hugged Kurama back, hiding her face in Kurama's shoulder. She wanted the moment to last forever. A single tear rolled down her face.  
  
"Saotome Torashi! Get over here!" That was Botan.  
  
"I love you Kurama-kun. I'll be back. I promise, I will find a way. Sayonara."  
  
Torashi pulled back slightly, kissed Kurama, and then turned, running to where the group was waiting, shouting "Jeeze! For crying out loud, I'm coming."  
  
Kurama watched Torashi's retreating form with depressed emerald eyes, knowing he could have had so much more time with her if Fate had been kinder. But we decide things like fate ourselves. Kurama leaned against the tree, still watching.  
  
"Ok, ok, fine. I'm here now, so what do I have to do?" Torashi demanded as she stopped in front of the group. Everyone was there, including Botan and Koenma in his totally suave adult form.  
  
"What, you gonna leave before saying bye to the rest of us? Fine then, to think even Hiei showed up. Go ahead and leave already." Yusuke joked.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Let me do this properly. Arigatoo, Yusuke. Your training helped a lot. We should try again when we get the chance." Torashi bowed to Yusuke, straitening to look at Kuwabara. "I guess I forgive you, Kuwa- chan. No since holding a grudge right?" She used the nickname she'd picked up from Shizuru. "See ya again maybe. And you too Hiei. Sometimes you may be a creep, but I guess your ok. Thanks for watchin out for me.  
  
"Hn. Maybe I shouldn't have come. Go on and leave already," Hiei replied.  
  
"So, how does this work?" Torashi asked, getting back to business.  
  
"We looked at how you came through, and have discovered a way to reverse the process. We concluded that you should be a neko, and, well, drown. We already pre-arranged things so that you won't die, but the concept will still be the same. You will end up in your dimension unconscious. This only should work after a certain period of time, so that is why we had to go today. Any questions?" Koenma lectured.  
  
"Uh...No not really."  
  
"Good. Let's get this over with. I have better things I could be doing, but this needs my attention." Between Koenma's hands, a little rei bubble formed. It floated over Torashi, enveloping her and making her skin tingle.  
  
"Ok, there. Go on and drown," Koenma said, flipping a hand at her.  
  
Torashi glared at him for a moment.  
  
"Ok, fine. Go into the water and swim to the center. That should wear a neko out. Then you transfer dimensions."  
  
"Yosh! (1) Later guys!" Torashi flipped the 'V' as she walked to the bank of the river.  
  
She flipped off her shoes, leaving them on the dirt, before wadding into the river. Torashi got to her knees before diving in further. Water submerged her, than a cat's head poked through the surface. The neko swam hard to reach the center of the river.  
  
At the shore, Kurama watched, fighting the urge to keep Torashi from going back to her dimension. He tried distracting himself. Kurama walked over to the group, daring to ask the question on everyone's mind.  
  
"What happens if she fails?"  
  
"The self she left in her dimension will disintegrate. There would be nothing left except memories. It would be an unsolvable mystery. We can't allow that on purpose."  
  
They may not have been able to cause it on purpose, but, secretly, Kurama prayed it wouldn't work. He knew he was being greedy, but wanted it all the same.  
  
Torashi swam, breathing hard. Her vision was becoming fuzzy. She finally persuaded herself to let go and slipped off into unconsciousness and oblivion.  
  
Side Notes:  
  
All right. If you watch fruits basket in jap, it's an Aya and 'Gure thing.....  
  
I shall not forget  
You by whom this closed heart has been opened  
  
Today's goodbye is the beginning of tomorrow  
Even if we take separate paths now  
We shall arrive at the same place...  
  
Even if we ran into each other,  
Call it a miracle  
  
For we can be proud of the all days  
We ran together  
  
I shall walk,  
Taking the never-fading star if this heart  
  
Surely a good bye is not a period  
If I go on and climb the everlasting hill  
I shall meet you again...  
  
Today's good-bye is the beginning of tomorrow  
If in my mind, I shall be beside you  
Ok, that bit is from the song, A good-bye is the Beginning of Tomorrow. I don't own it, so I give credit. Sorry if I left it at a bit of a cliffhanger. Will Torashi end up in the right dimension, or will she be stuck as a memory in her real time? Read to find out soon!!!!!!   
  
Oh, by the way, only one more to go! Check back soon! 


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
Torashi opened her sapphire blue eyes. Her head throbbed painfully and she placed her left hand on her temple. A few seconds passed before the pain ebbed away.  
  
Torashi sat up, looking around. She realized the place that she hid around in at the beach. It used to be a storage shed, but something happened and Torashi took it over.  
  
"Ah, Torashi-chan. You're up. I was beginning to worry about you." A woman late in her years walked in. She sat on the end of Torashi's bed.  
  
Torashi looked at her adopted okasan's eyes, picking out her emotions and smiled. "You were not. You know me too well. I'll always come back, no matter what.  
  
"Ok, fine. You got me. You little rascal, next time tell me before popping off for two days. We found you lying on the beach."  
  
"I'm sorry, but it wasn't intentional. I just needed a break from this place for a while."  
  
Ha. No use telling her I needed a break from this world. She'd think I'm crazy or something.  
  
Torashi's okasan stood up, walking to the door. "I sure hope you were being good, Saotome Torashi. Now get some rest, you look tired," she finished, leaving.  
  
Torashi lay back amongst the sheets. "Okasan, you don't have the slightest idea," she muttered to the ceiling.  
  
Torashi woke up fully refreshed. It was dark outside, and a full moon was rising over the water, able to be seen from her window.  
  
She looked around again. There was a vase with a single flower poking out of the top on the table Torashi used to put food. The flower was hidden in the shadows, not yet visible. Torashi smiled, walking over to the window.  
  
She sighed. "Maybe it was all just a dream. My dreams usually mean something, but probably not this one. It is too good to mean anything," Torashi mused quietly.  
  
She leaned against the windowsill, head propped up on her left hand, right arm dangling out.  
  
A glint of green blended in with the light of the moon. Startled, Torashi looked down at her wrist and smiled sadly. It was the bracelet Kurama had given her.  
  
Torashi shook her head. The dream wasn't a dream after all. No way in hell. Either that, or I really am crazy.  
  
She laughed quietly, and then looked around to make sure no one was there to watch her make a fool of herself, thinking like that.  
  
But the only thing there was a red rose. Torashi smiled and cried softly to herself.  
  
"I'll make it back someday, Kurama-kun. I promise," she whispered.  
  
In the dimension Torashi had left, Minamino Shuichi, more commonly know as Kurama to her, was standing on the balcony of his room, watching the full moon rise with a small red pendant dangling from his hand, reflecting light, listening to Torashi's promise.  
  
A white rose in the morning  
Reminds me of what we were.  
A red rose at night  
Stirs memories forgotten.  
  
Ok, I made up this poem, mainly to make this sweeter. THAT'S THE END!!!!!! I kinda intended for the other chapter to be cute, but I think I went overboard!!!!! Well, thanks all you readers who have stuck with me, and thanks muses too for helping me. Kurama is romance, and Jin is humor. I'm going to revamp the chapters, getting more help. I loved doing this and....... Wait a second........THIS IS THE FIRST STORY LINE I'VE EVER FINISHED! Heck yeah, I'm free. Just joking. Right now, I'm working on other fan fics, so check my name every once in a while. I'm working on an Inu Yasha cross over with my own character from yu yu, a full Ranma ½ fic with Torashi, and a Yu Yu/ Bifrost Guardian cross over. Bifrost is a book by some guy, and it's really good. You don't need to know much in order to read the fic, tho.  
  
This has been MuseQueen, sighing off for now! 


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